PARTS of St Helens Cemetery were submerged underwater earlier this week after a drain collapsed.

Photographs shared with the Star showed a pathway and areas near to some graves flooded due to the issue on Monday and Tuesday this week.

St Helens Council said that contractors were called out yesterday and that the path and affected graves have since been cleared of excess surface water. 

St Helens Star: The path submerged in water The path submerged in water (Image: Submitted)

Allan Stockley, managing director at Garvey & Young Funeral Services, said he was contacted by a family who had just purchased a cremation plot by the area affected.

He said they were “devastated” to find when they attended the cemetery to see the completed memorial that the site was waterlogged.

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“We shouldn’t be allowing families to turn up and see that, it must have been heart-breaking,” said Allan.

“I think it would have been courteous for the management to email all funeral directors just to say there is a problem at the moment but the problem is being addressed.

“It is just heart-breaking for the poor families, we could go and talk to the families but nobody told us.

“We’re upset that a family has had to put up with this.”  

St Helens Star: St Helens Cemetery says the area has been largely cleared of excess waterSt Helens Cemetery says the area has been largely cleared of excess water (Image: St Helens Star)

A St Helens Borough Council spokesperson said: “Contractors were called out to St Helens Cemetery to resolve issues of flooding yesterday (Tuesday, December 12) due to a collapsed drain. Since then, the affected path and graves have been cleared of excess surface water. 

“After heavy downpours, waterlogging does occur in certain parts of the grounds, and so we’re also looking to secure specialist contractors that could ultimately help to resolve these wider issues. 

“Site maintenance is incredibly important to our bereavement service, whose investment in, care and safekeeping of St Helens Cemetery as a peaceful and accessible space for the bereaved has seen them receive national recognition for several consecutive years.” 

St Helens Star: St Helens Cemetery says the area has been largely cleared of excess waterSt Helens Cemetery says the area has been largely cleared of excess water (Image: St Helens Council)