Staff from Tivoli, Fenland District Council’s grounds maintenance contractors, completed their first tidy-up of all the council-run cemeteries last week, more than a month earlier than usual.

Bob Ollier, the council’s Open Spaces Manager, said, “This is the first time in more than 10 years that we have had to start this so early in the year. Normally we’d begin in the first or second week in March.

“The very mild winter has meant that the grass has continued to grow and hasn’t been held back by the frosts we usually get. That’s particularly true in cemeteries, where the gravestones provide extra protection from the elements.”

Councillor Peter Murphy, FDC’s Cabinet member responsible for the environment, said, “Tivoli has responded well by adjusting their schedules and have done a good job.”