A grieving mother has criticised Perth and Kinross Council over its failure to cut the grass around her late son’s grave.
Mina Brown (54) says the patch around beloved Cameron Doig’s resting place is the only one in the council’s Abernethy Cemetery left uncut.
And she feels she will have no choice but to ask one of her sons to cut the grass and bill the council for it – if it is not done imminently.
The area is occupied by three artificial wreaths laid out in tribute at the grave site, where Cameron’s father Graham is also buried, with the council citing a reluctance to move them to cut the grass in case they are damaged.
It is the second time in nine months Mina has clashed with the local authority after Cameron’s headstone was accidentally smashed by a council digger just two days before his funeral in October.
The memorial stone was uprooted and crashed onto the plant vehicle while his grave was being prepared, causing cracks and dents to the black marble.
Cameron’s family were left to mourn him at his service in the council-owned cemetery without the dedicated monument.
Mina, who lives in Tillicoultry, was informed by the council, after filing a complaint, that it could take two or three weeks to sort the issue with the unkempt plot.
“I was at the cemetery on Monday and there are our artificial flower wreaths at the grave,” Mina explained to the PA.
“The grass has not been cut for weeks and now it is growing over the flowers — I have had that plot for the past 19 years and the grass has always been cut.
“I have nowhere else to put the wreaths.
“The council said they didn’t move them because they didn’t want to damage them. But the monument is still not up yet and now the grass isn’t cut.
“My man and son are buried there and what will people be thinking? I am disgusted at the way the council has treated me.”
Mina said she was “absolutely sobbing” her eyes out following Monday’s visit.
“I was so angry. Every other patch of grass is cut,” she said.
“The grave is a mess. They said it may take them two or three weeks to get someone out there to cut it.
“I’m just going to get my son to cut the grass and bill the council for it if it is not done sooner.”
After his sudden death Cameron was to share the headstone – bought 18 years ago for £7000 – with father Graham.
Touching words in honour to Cameron, who Mina said had “a heart of gold”, were to be engraved next to Graham’s on the stone’s marble surface.
Following the damage PKC apologised and promised to pay for a new one, valued at over £5000, with Mina saying it could reach nearly a year without a headstone for Cameron and Graham.
A small grey plaque is acting as a placeholder now until the monument is installed.
“It is the same as the previous one, so the black marble had to be ordered from India,” she explained.
“It is in Aberdeen at the moment for the inscription and should be with the stonemason come the end of August.
“It may be the end of September before the new headstone is put in. That will be 11 months there will not have been a gravestone there.”
A council spokesperson said: “It is our policy when cutting grass in cemeteries to not remove floral tributes or other memorabilia from graves and to cut around these.
“Often floral tributes are placed in the headstone strip but in this case items were in place for many months on the full area of the lair.
“The memorabilia have now been removed by the family and we will cut the grass on our next visit to the burial ground within the next two to three weeks and we have communicated this to Ms Brown.
“In all other regards the maintenance within Abernethy Cemetery is within our expected standards.
“We would also like to extend our sympathies to Ms Brown for the loss of her son last year.”
