Complaints about the state of some council-owned cemeteries have led to calls for their maintenance to be brought back as an in-house service.

Members of Denbighshire County Council’s  communities scrutiny committee had heard complaints about grass being allowed to grow high in some cemeteries and cuttings being left in others.

They felt that the long grass meant the graveyards looked untidy and could be distressing to grieving families.

Currently, the contractor for the highway verge cutting contract is used to cut the grass in council-run cemeteries.

Rhyl south east ward councillor Brian Blakeley raised the issue of grass cutting in the Coed Bell cemetery on the outskirts of Prestatyn, which he had noticed when visiting the grave of his mother-in-law.

He said: “We have the open-plan cemetery at Coed Bell and I have noticed it can be very untidy up there when you cut the grass.

“Is there anyway we can collect the grass to try and keep those graves a little bit cleaner?”

Henllan and Upper Denbigh ward councillorGlenn Swingler said: “I seriously hope we do look at bringing that in-house and not use outside people.

“I know we are doing other things that are coming in-house and it seems to be a good idea that can work well and be cost effective as well.”

Officers said they would keep an eye on the situation and consider whether to use an in-house service rather than outside contractors to carry out ground work in the cemeteries.

They added that there was no capacity for the council to carry out the grass cutting job in-house at the moment.