A man says the poor state of one of the borough’s cemeteries makes him feel he cannot visit the graves of his parents.

Paul Wilson, 68, whose parents and sister are buried at Wealdstone Cemetery, in Bryon Road, says he could not believe the level of neglect he found at the site when he visited last week.

The grass at the Harrow Borough Council-run burial ground had not been cut for some time and grown more than a foot and the asphalt pathway around the cemetery is broken in a number of places.

He said: “Most excuses for reducing maintenance fall within having to make cutbacks for financial reasons. This is not a cutback, this is total abandonment.

“The cemetery is still being used so how can the council justify this ihappening?

"You walk through the park and it’s all well looked after, but when you go through the cemetery gate, it’s like stepping into another world.

“I have to say it is upsetting and seeing it almost abandoned makes me not want to go back. We can’t be the only ones who feel like this when we visit our family’s graves.

“It’s in such a poor state I don’t feel I can go back because it’s very upsetting.”

Mr Wilson was born and raised in Harrow but now lives in Luton and previously made the visit to cemetery every couple of months.

Wealdstone Cemetery is one of seven in the borough run by Harrow Borough Council.

A council spokeswoman said: "Due to faulty equipment we were unable to cut the grass at Wealdstone Cemetery at the scheduled time last month.

"The machinery has now been repaired and we began cutting the grass on Monday. The work is scheduled to be finished by the end of the week.

“We can assure Mr Wilson that we will continue maintaining the cemetery and will ensure it is kept neat and tidy.”