Families' dismay as sheep get into Welshpool graveyard

People who have relatives buried in Maesgwastad Cemetery in Welshpool, owned by Powys County Council, were shocked to discover sheep from a nearby field had eaten flowers and trampled over the graves. It is thought that the gate was broken.

Emma Kaye, from the Borfa Green area of Welshpool, said she and her family were "extremely upset" to discover flowers from her great-grandmother's grave had been eaten by sheep.

Ms Kaye, whose great-grandmother died just over a week ago, said: "We had her buried there to be with her husband, my late great-grandad so on Sunday morning when I popped there to have a look at how the flower arrangements were doing from the funeral I was really upset to notice the flowers had been half eaten.

"This isn't something grieving families should have to stress about and it's horrible. My grandparents are really upset by this as they've just lost their mum and mother-in-law.

"Thankfully somebody from the council has been to check their fences and they are fine. The sheep have apparently been getting out through the farmer's fence coming down the lane and then making their way into the churchyard through the gates. But there are no sheep there now and hopefully they will be kept in the field from now on." Heather Chave, a Welshpool town councillor, who regularly visits her father's grave at the cemetery, said she was angry that the problem had not been resolved as vases and ornaments on his grave had been smashed before Christmas.

She said: "My dad only died last year, he was really poorly and he still isn't at peace now with sheep running riot over his grave."

A Powys County Council spokesman said: "We have received complaints about sheep in the cemetery and contacted the owner of the animals to get them moved."

According to the spokesman, the land is part of Powis estate and rented to a local farmer.