A grounds maintenance company has come to the rescue of a Rhyl-based cemetery.

The St Thomas cemetery in Rhyl has been left neglected over the past few years with numbers in the congregation beginning to dwindle because of a ageing group of parishioners.

But the area, which has a number of war graves including some of those who fought in World War One, has had some life returned to it.

Director of CWR Grounds Maintenance Ltd, Mrs Wendy Rowles, contacted the church recently offering services up to the value of £4000 free of charge to help the cause.

The Vicar's warden of St Thomas' Church, Julie Woodward, said: "This cemetery has been neglected for a number of years for varying reasons.

"It is full so no burials have taken place to generate income for its upkeep, and we are now reliant on the generosity of donations for this.

"Recently our funds have been greatly depleted as a result of having to employ a tree specialist, hire heavy duty power tools – strimmers, wood chipping machine, etc. to aid our task.

"So I was delighted and overwhelmed to be contacted by Mrs Wendy Rowles.

"This will greatly assist in our quest to tidy up this cemetery, in anticipation that once done the whole area will become more easily manageable."

Work on the cemetery site has already begun already began their work and Mrs Woodward said it was reassuring to know small businesses in the community were kind, thoughtful and generous to come forward and help.

Until now the job of clearing the cemetery had been left to Mrs Woodward, her husband, the vicar, Duke of Edinburgh Award pupils and volunteers.

She said with it being the 100th anniversary of World War One it was the perfect time to have the war graves and the others in the cemetery cleared.

Mrs Woodward said: "This cemetery has a number of War Graves that are, and have been, covered in deep undergrowth. I am saddened to see this neglect given these men fought for us and our country."