A MUM who buried her daughter last year has called for cemetery workers to have more respect for grieving families after precious keepsakes and sentimental ornaments were damaged during grass cutting.

Kim Rimmer, 38, faced every parent's worst nightmare when her daughter Charlie died in August 2017 at the age of 13.

The Ormiston Bolingbroke Academy pupil, who lived in Runcorn, had been diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), an aggressive form of brain cancer, and had been given nine months to live.

Charlie was buried at Runcorn Cemetery on Langdale Road – but the family have faced further upset after discovering some of the items had been broken as well as being told to remove their daughter's favourite coloured stones from the soil because it was deemed a health and safety issue.

She said: "Sadly I'm not the only person this has happened to and it has been going on for some time. There is no respect what so ever.

"I set up a group on Facebook for other people who have faced similar upset as it's about time we all stand together to put a stop to this.

"We have all been through a difficult time as it is.

"I’ve spoken to one of the managers but we've never even had an apology.”

Some families have raised concerns about items going missing. Over the past few months, Jackie Barrett has repeatedly laid flowers at her husband's grave only for the floral tribute to be stolen and a glass lantern broken.

A spokesman for the council told the Runcorn and Widnes World that 'a lot of time and effort goes into ensuring that the cemeteries are as good as they can be'.

He said: "Our cemeteries are among the best in the region when it comes to maintenance standards.

"Cemeteries are outdoor public open spaces and they are subject to the same pressures as any other open space.

"Over the last 20 years there has been a big change in the way people grieve. One aspect of this is grave ornamentation. Far more ornaments are placed upon graves than ever was the case in previous decades.

"Quite often the type of ornamentation is not suited to the outdoor environment and certainly not suited to being in a public place.

"There are cemetery rules which lay out what is and what isn’t acceptable and everyone who purchases a burial right receives a copy and signs to say they will abide by them.

"The rules exist for good reason. They are designed to ensure the cemetery is safe for the public and for our employees and they seek to maintain the dignity of the place.

"This more modern type of ornamentation creates problems when we carry out grass cutting operations. Everybody wants the grass to be kept short and tidy which means we have to cut and strim frequently.

"There are very large areas of grass in our cemeteries and a finite number of staff to do the work.

"While our staff try their very best to avoid damage to ornaments sometimes they do get broken. We try to move items when we can but it simply isn’t practical to move them all."

Kim has recently set up a Facebook page for those who are facing similar upset.

To join the group search for loved ones from Langdale Cemetery on Facebook.