A DAD has written a heartfelt poem deploring the state of a cemetery remembering war heroes in a town enjoying world heritage status.

Thirty six thousand people have been buried at St Peter’s Cemetery in Blaenavon since it opened in 1805.

The churchyard also features headstones remembering First and Second World War heroes.

The Blaenavon ironworks are a reminder of the achievements of the industrial revolution and the town was granted Unesco World Heritage status in 2000.

But Blaenavon dad Pat Madden was shocked to discover the churchyard was so rundown with overgrown vegetation.

He wrote: “Clean up your ugly shroud of brambles and thorns.

“Because their rest place is dreadful and looks so forlorn.

“Lying in trenches covered in mud, for us they did bleed.

“Now they lie there disrespected, all covered in weeds.

“Saint Peter’s heroes’ cemetery is the worse that I’ve seen.”

St Peter’s church in Church Road is responsible for the upkeep of the five and a half acre cemetery.

Vicar Rev Dr Jason Bray acknowledged the churchyard could be better kept but stressed the church did not have the resources to cut the grass throughout the year.

Rev Bray said a group of volunteers had cut the grass in the summer but the project had come to an end.

He acknowledged that the church had several First and Second World War graves but stressed these were maintained by the War Graves Commission.

He said: “We could spend absolutely all of our resources keeping the churchyard.

“In an ideal world, we would like to do it. In a sense, it is a lot better than it used to be. We have made some inroads.

“We could spend all of our resources and never get to the end of it.

“A Unesco world heritage status doesn’t bring any money with it.

“It doesn’t work like that at all.

“The World Heritage Lottery Fund is the biggest fund for this sort of thing but they wouldn’t give us any money so we rely on volunteers and the money we’re raising.”

* Anyone who wishes to help with the upkeep of the cemetery is urged to contact the church on 01495 790 292.