A SPECIAL meeting will be held to allow campaigners to have their say on the state of Pershore Cemetery.

More than 600 people have joined the Clean Up Pershore Cemetery Facebook group, which was started by Mark Barrett.

Despite recent maintenance work to tidy up the Defford Road cemetery, Mr Barrett and other people formally requested a meeting with the town council and this was accepted by its members.

Pete Challenger, of Monks Close, Pershore, who first complained about the state of the cemetery in 2010, said: “It seems that there has been some progress in getting the cemetery back to what it should be like.

“I would like to know how it was allowed to get into the state it’s been in. I think we should get some assurances that it will be maintained.”

Following the announcement of the meeting, a number of comments on the Facebook site also acknowledged the improvement at the cemetery.

Town councillors said they hoped the concerns of residents will be met before the special meeting is held.

Councillor Chris Parsons, chairman of Pershore Town Council’s cemetery committee, said the grass had become overgrown due to the wet weather and broken tools.

“The cemetery committee themselves are not happy with the way the cemetery is now,” he said.

“But I give you my assurance that the cemetery committee has shifted heaven and earth to get it into shape.”

It was decided to employ a labourer for a further 15 hours a week during the spring and summer months.

Coun Gaynor Amphlett Hawkins, vice-chairman of the cemetery committee, said: “Let’s aim to get as close to perfection as we can.”

The special meeting, which will allow residents to walk around the cemetery with councillors, will start at 6.30pm on Wednesday, July 11, and will be followed at 7pm by the town council’s cemetery committee meeting.