Complaints about the “disgraceful” condition of the old cemetery at Knighton are largely down to people misusing the site to dump refuse in the wrong place, not clearing up after walking dogs and using a fence as a gate, say the county council which manages the site.

Local resident John Jones protested: “I have visited my mother’s grave and the cemetery is a disgrace. Heaps of old rubbish piled up inside.

“I have also been told that the fence has been vandalised and will need to be reinstated. I and my wife had to climb over a make-shift gate and it’s general mess.”

Town clerk Neil King said there had been several complaints mainly about the old Crabtree Walk entrance and he had taken up the matter with Powys County Council’s (PCC) environmental health department.

A spokesperson for PCC told the County Times and Gazette the gate had been replaced with a fence for a number of reasons.

“A large wheeled bin used to be situated at this entrance before it was moved over 12 months ago to the main lychgate for the cemetery,” he said. “However, people were continuing to leave their waste at the bin’s former location so by closing access here, we hope it would encourage visitors to place their waste at the correct location.

“Unfortunately, signs that were installed asking visitors not to place their waste at this location have been removed and the fence has also been vandalised. We will be reinstating the fence as soon as possible.

“The fence was installed to deter dog walkers from using the cemetery as a shortcut and letting their dogs off the leads and allowing them to foul there. Our grass cutting contractors had warned the council that if the situation did not improve then they would not cut the grass in the cemetery.

“The access to the gate has about a four-foot fall into the road and as there is no safety rail there, for safety reasons, the gate was removed and the fence installed.

“We would urge visitors to Old Knighton Cemetery to use the wheeled bin to place their waste in to help keep the cemetery tidy and also urge dog owners to clean up after their dogs if they foul in there.

“If visitors to the cemetery witness anyone allowing their dogs to foul and do not clear up after them or dumping their waste there, then report it to us and we will investigate and take the appropriate action,” said the spokesperson.