LOCKWOOD Cemetery is a "quagmire" and a danger to both mourners and funeral staff.

That's the view of these men who work in the funeral business.

And they say Kirklees Council should be less concerned about pulling down gravestones and removing trinkets and should be putting more money into making the grounds safer.

Their comments come a year to the day that similar concerns were voiced by undertakers using the Lockwood Cemetery.

They claim apart from a sprinkling of wood chippings, it seems that little else has been done.

David Peace, a carriage master who works for funeral directors, says he first raised the issue with Kirklees six years ago.

Mr Peace said: "It's not a graveyard, it's a tip.

"The mourners who are in their best attire for a funeral have to walk through this mess.

"What are they getting for their money?

"We have reported this time and time again. We have these people in power who just don't listen."

Speaking about the removal of trinkets he added: "To the families it is significant and then they have to put up with this! This is much more dangerous than a gravestone falling over."

Ian Birks, funeral director for TW Birks and Son, Holmfirth, said: "It's just a quagmire. Pigs would be at home in here. It's a disgrace and I agree with David that Kirklees are obsessed with headstones and the nanny state.

"There's far more likelihood of someone injuring themselves walking in here carrying a coffin.

"I do funerals over in Sheffield and the graveyards there are to a totally different standard. The Kirklees area is particularly bad."

Mr Birks added: "It's actually deteriorated since last year. Things have got worse."

Norman Butterworth, principal funeral director at Co-operative Funeralcare, Huddersfield, said: "There is a danger to mourners who are often elderly and funeral staff who might be holding a coffin.

"We have had one or two close calls with them where staff have lost their footing or slipped. Fortunately we have not had any major accidents yet.

"It's a disservice to the people of Huddersfield."

He added the mud could get all over the funeral vehicles.

"It does cause a problem when the inside of a limousine is muddied and possibly the limousine is required for a later funeral as well."

A spokesman from Kirklees said: "We are investigating how to improve the situation at Lockwood Cemetery."