CALLINGTON Town Council is taking urgent advice from environmental agencies over what appears to be animal damage to the cemetery on Liskeard Road.

The damage to the grass area mainly below the lines of graves happened over the Christmas period and the council is concerned over the closeness to the graves.

Callington town clerk Helen Dowdall said: ‘We had some kurbing done last year to aid people’s manoeuvrability around the cemetery. After that we had noticed some bits of grass upturned, which we thought might just have been funeral vehicles catching the ground, but slowly over Christmas it was just getting a bit too messy for it to be a coincidence.

‘Our biggest fear is that they will start rummaging closer to the graves. Over Christmas people tend to go down to the cemetery to visit loved ones and the last thing we want is for people to go down there and see a load of turf turned up, because it is upsetting for them.’

‘We want people to know that if it looks untidy down there it is because of the animals and rest assured we will do what we can to stop them, but we can’t be blasé about it, we are getting advice and will act appropriately.’

Councillors are now discussing what action can be taken with Natural England, the regulatory authority responsible for wildlife. If the damage is being caused by animals such as badgers, action has to be specific as they have protected status — as do a number of other species.

The council has also sought advice from other local authorities such as Charnwood Borough Council in eastern England, which experienced similar problems in the autumn.