A GRANDMOTHER-of-one feels ‘let down’ after being told she cannot continue gardening at a train station she has maintained for three years.

Val Houghton was given permission to put her green-fingered skills to use at Atherton railway station in 2014.

The 73-year-old maintains three gardens at the station as well as hanging baskets with ‘remember me’ signs that are tributes to around a dozen people.

But Northern, which runs the station, has ordered Val to halt her free gardening work for safety reasons.

Val, of Greenhall Close, Atherton, said: “I feel let down and under-appreciated by the station’s management.

“Even though I am close to the track when I am doing the gardening work, I have always been careful and check with the staff what time the next trains are due to pass through.

“The ‘remember me’ tributes are important to people and I get lots of comments about how nice they look.

“I am losing sleep over what will happen to the state of the plants — they could die if they are not watered enough.

“I want to take them out and put them in a different location where people can visit them, but I am not even allowed to do that at the moment.”

Northern applauded the work Val has done at the station but says it is not safe for her to continue.

“We think what Val has done at the station is really lovely,” a spokesman for the rail company said.

“However it is very dangerous for her to be working so close to the line.

“We will be in contact with Val about making arrangements to move the plants.”