No way through

The News has been approached by a number of families who cannot access the tombstones of loved ones at Cumbernauld Village Cemetery because these are obscured by cuttings from trees.

These have been left lying by gardeners from North Lanarkshire Council, in a move which has generated ill-feeling in the Village.

Smithyends resident Mary Johnson (82) whose parents and grandparents are buried in this historic site said that the area was being allowed to deteriorate.

“The situation is absolutely ridiculous. The cuttings had just been left lying over the graves, blocking them out. I understand that there’s been very little attempt made to clear the area since the bad weather. “Something needs to be done about this,” said Mary.

When the News addressed the subject with NLC, we were assured that the matter was being addressed.

A spokesperson said: “We are currently undertaking tree-thinning at Cumbernauld Village Cemetery to ensure it remains a safe environment for visitors.

The most efficient way to do this is to complete the cutting first, then collect the branches for removal and shredding,” he said.

“That can result in branches lying in the cemetery for a few days, but they are always cleared as quickly as possible. In this case, cutting began in the middle of last week, and clearing will begin this week.