Grieving relatives of people buried at Malmesbury’s Tetbury Hill Cemetery have been told they must remove excessive grave decorations to help reduce maintenance costs.

According to the regulations families are permitted to have a headstone and one vase of flowers to mark the grave. Any other decoration, such as planted flowers, photographs or added kerbstones are not allowed as they slow down maintenance of the cemetery.

Robert Bamford, whose mother Joan was buried at the cemetery in March 2008, is furious with the decision.

He said: “It’s dreadful. They are riding roughshod over the bereaved.

“To hide behind the frontage of a committee is reprehensible and amounts to intimidation and bullying in the extreme.

“I’ve planted flowers there and when they are in full bloom they are a fantastic display. I don’t want to visit a patch of grass.

“The way the committee have done this is a nonsense and unnecessary.

“I saw one man who was at a grave and because he hadn’t yet been able to put in a headstone they just draped the notice over the flowers he had planted there.”

Kyla Henry, the mother of 15-year-old Ryan, who died of leukemia in April has now had to shelve plans for a garden to mark his grave.

She said: “I understand that for the groundsmen it is easier for them to mow straight across. But planted flowers remain fresh and look beautiful whereas cut flowers need replacing.

“Tending the grave is a way of expressing your love for the person you have lost to make it as beautiful as possible.

“The cemetery is area of colour and life where there is death. It is sad they are taking a hard stance on it.”

Chairman of the Joint Burial Committee, Coun Bernard Ingham, said the committee would take action if families had not complied with regulations by September 1. He said: “Any action taken will be done in a sensitive manner.”