Shrewsbury's war graves branded a disgrace
They remember a generation who sacrificed their lives for their country.
But war graves in Shropshire are too often dirty, covered in moss or tucked away in a forgotten corner of a cemetery.
Today former mayor of Shrewsbury Jon Tandy criticised council officials for failing to show proper respect to the war dead and allowing their graves to fall in to disrepair.
He visited Shrewsbury Cemetery and said it is a "disgrace" when compared to war graves that are pristine and maintained on a daily basis in Europe.
Mr Tandy is demanding urgent attention be paid to the headstones of 100 men who were injured on the battlefields of Belgium and France and who returned to Shrewsbury for treatment but died.
He has now called on Shrewsbury Town Council to take on the responsibility of the graves in Longden Road cemetery.
The council plans to hold an open evening on September 11 at the 170-year-old cemetery. He said: "I am not doing this for political reasons, I am doing it because these men died serving the country.
"I travelled to Europe this summer, looking at various war graves and memorials and all of them were pristine, tended and cared for in a respectful way.
"On the day I got back, I went to Shrewsbury Cemetery to lay a wreath and was horrified by what I saw."
Mr Tandy claims the graves were grimy, covered in moss and overgrown grass and in some cases were broken.
"It is very disrespectful," he said. "There is no dignity for these men.
"In Belgium and France, the cemeteries are ordered and clean with fresh flowers for each of the men."
He has now contacted Shrewsbury Town Council but was told by town clerk Helen Ball that responsibility for the graves had passed to the War Graves Commission.
In reply in an email to Mr Tandy, she said:
"Someone now comes into the cemetery to manage these plots somewhere between every one to two weeks. I would suggest that if you or any of your residents are unsatisfied you contact the commission directly."
Mr Tandy added: "They say this is an important cemetery but it seems they have just forgotten about these graves."
No one was available from Shrewsbury Town Council or the War Graves Commission to discuss the matter.
