I WRITE in relation to the letters received concerning Ridgemont Cemetery.

We, too, are experiencing the same problem with the churchyard at St Stephen & All Martyrs in Darcy Lever.

We have brought the matter to the attention of the vicar of the church and have been told it is Bolton Council which is responsible for the maintenance of the grounds. And while we appreciate this, we also feel it is the responsibility of the clergy to keep on top of the council.

What Mr Stott has suggested myself and my sister have attempted one afternoon because we have family in the grounds that go back hundreds of years and we have never seen the grounds in such a state, overgrown grass, trees left uncropped so it is dark and hard to see, gravestones have been covered over with moss and there are weeds in abundance as tall as an adult!

The previous vicar, Father Bryan, was excellent and not only rallied the troops, but did an awful lot of the work himself. I have every intention of ringing Bolton Council myself — as the vicar suggested — to see if I can get answers.

It is a tragedy that our loved ones have to lie in these conditions after paying into the system that has supported this country over the centuries, and I also ask not only the council but the clergy to take some responsibility.

A Cronin Somerton Road Bolton