PERSONAL items left at a loved one’s grave will be cleared by Calderdale Council .

They say items such as plant pots and plastic fencing will be removed from gravesides or memorials from September.

It comes after reports of thefts and items being broke led the council to ask for the removal of all mementoes.

There have been a spate of thefts from Rastrick Cemetery, but it will affect all including those in Brighouse and Elland.

Councils in other parts of the country have implemented a similar ban and the move has brought protests – especially from families of young children, who want to leave toys on graves.

Clr Steve Sweeney, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities, said: “People grieve and remember their loved ones in different ways and we do understand how important this is to some visitors.

“This can include leaving a range of items such as glass vases and plastic or wire fencing at the graveside.

“Unfortunately we have been contacted many times by people whose property has been stolen, damaged or scattered over the cemetery, making it untidy and unsafe.

“We have taken this difficult decision to protect these special places for everyone, to make sure that our crematoriums and cemeteries are clean, accessible and safe for all our visitors.”

It means any unbroken mementoes which have not been collected before September will be cleared and stored for six months.

The council says the items will be available for collection from the crematorium or nearest cemetery office.

And after September items will be cleared from each site two weeks after they have been left.

However, the authority says memorial crosses can be left at gravesides or memorials on Remembrance Sunday , although they too will be removed two weeks later.

In Kirklees there are strict rules about memorials in the town’s public cemeteries.

Headstones or memorials must be of an approved type and must be placed by stonemasons to ensure they are safe.

Memorials are to be fixed in line with adjoining memorials.

On a lawn type grave any memorial vase must be incorporated in the base of the memorial.

There are no specific guidelines about flowerpots, toys or vases on graves.