Parts of a Grade-II listed cemetery in Oldham which has been the final resting place for thousands of loved ones is looking worse for wear after it was reportedly targeted by vandals.
Greenacres Cemetery on Greenacres Road opened in 1857 and was designed by a Manchester architect, N G Pennington, who also designed Chadderton Cemetery.
The burial ground is a Grade-II listed site of national importance on the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England.
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However, the state of the cemetery has fallen below standard, with toppled and deteriorating graves at every corner to the point where one resident said he feared vandals might have caused the damage.
When visited by The Oldham Times, several headstones and commemorative structures appear to have been toppled over, with some completely uprooted from the base while others have shattered.
Oldham Council said it is aware of the scale of the damage and has launched an inquiry to contact those affected.
Chris Goodwin, Cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said while incidents of vandalism are fortunately rare, he is "appalled" by this "heartless act" which has affected several families.
A 60-year-old man, who did not wish to be named, said he visited on Valentine's Day (February 14) after hearing about bin fires in the cemetery, and to remove Christmas wreaths from his parents' and grandparents' graves.
When he arrived he said he felt "something wasn't quite right" and was shocked to discover his family's headstone had been "pushed over and toppled in its entirety, still attached to its base with other segments dislodged".
He then saw "at least a dozen others" near a footpath which had suffered the same fate.
The widower continued: "I last saw the grave intact on New Year's Eve.
"I had just returned from ferrying a relative to and from an appointment to the Christie Hospital and decided whilst out to go to the cemetery.
"My sister-in-law asked me 'to be careful' - the fear she feels when tending to graves there."
When asked how he felt about the damaged site, he said: "There have been a number of incidents over the years within the cemetery and you visit in trepidation of what you might discover, something that you should not feel but unfortunately in these times expect.
"I was bemused and frustrated as to why this had occurred when I realised that at least a dozen others on the same row had been pushed over in the same manner.
"Originally believing that it couldn't be mindless vandalism, I spoke with the cemetery office - only to discover that no stress testing had been undertaken.
"I was then angry with myself for not having been earlier after the bin fires believing that this may have been connected."
Concerned about a potential spate of vandalism, the resident said he contacted police but due to a lack of evidence, the matter was closed.
To make matters worse, graves that have been affected could cost families hundreds if not thousands of pounds to have fixed.
The resident said his insurance is covering the cost of a £600 repair, which includes a new anchorage, but estimates other families could be forking out £4,000 to attend to theirs.
He continued: "It's unsightly, to say the least, and nobody should have to pay for repairs like this as it shouldn't have happened in the first place.
"Some graves are around 200 years old. My grandparents' is over 80 years and is unlikely to be tended to after me.
"I am fortunate that although dislodged, nothing appears to have been shattered and the estimated repair bill is considerably less than what it could have been.
"Others may not be so fortunate."
The man, who was "born and raised" in Oldham before living out his retirement in Saddleworth, added: "As a child, I was brought to the cemetery to show respect to my elders, unfortunately, that just doesn't seem to exist anymore.
"I just want other members of the community to be aware and have the opportunity to check their headstones.
"I appreciate that there is little the authorities can do but in other countries, the respect shown to the conditions of cemeteries far outstretch what occurs in the UK - this is not a political statement."
The extent of the damage stretches across the cemetery as The Oldham Times discovered more than 20 burial sites appear crumbled, shattered or uprooted - beyond a reasonable state of gradual deterioration.
Cllr Godwin said: "The loss of a loved one is difficult enough without families having to face a heartless act like this.
"Incidents like this are rare but understandably very upsetting when they do occur.
"This is a devastating incident affecting a number of families and we are appalled that anyone would seek to cause damage to headstones.
“We are actively conducting an inquiry and reaching out to the families impacted by this situation.
"We are currently in the process of communicating with them regarding the restoration of the headstones.
"I would encourage anyone who has information about this incident to contact the police by calling 101 or report it to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 to help them identify who is responsible.”
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