DRIVERS using a cemetery as a shortcut during funerals and cremations have been warned to behave responsibly.

The problem has seen motorists cutting through Scholemoor Cemetery on a daily basis to avoid traffic in the area.

Leaders at the nearby Lidget Green Primary School have also moved to encourage parents to show consideration to mourners if they decide to choose to take that route.

One man, who declined to be named, was attending a funeral in the middle of the afternoon when a fleet of cars started driving through the cemetery.

"It was disrespectful and I couldn't believe my eyes," he told the Telegraph & Argus.

"They were driving along the narrow road and there was no room for mourners or people going to a funeral to get onto the road.

"After the funeral finished and I got in my car, I could see the same cars coming back through the cemetery with children in them.

"I imagine this happens every single day."

The man was appalled at what he saw during his friend's funeral and questioned what the driver's were thinking to disrupt a funeral.

He added: "Even if it had saved me an hour, I would never have done that.

"There is a footpath and one driver drove along that just so he could beat the other cars who were driving on the main route.

"He was cutting through the graves just to save some time.

"It was totally terrible behaviour."

Cllr Taj Salam (Labour, Little Horton), vowed to do what he could straight away to stop the rogue drivers and said he would contact the relevant organisations to get them onboard.

He said: "If people are trying to get from A to B and using the cemetery as a shortcut, that's unacceptable.

"It's not a place where people go for fun, they are there to pay their respects to their loved ones and get some closure for the grief they are suffering.

"Some people don't get over these things for years and I would urge those responsible for stopping this to look at it very urgently.

"This can't just be for one section of councillors and wardens, but it has to be a joint effort.

"People should be sticking to the roads."

A spokesperson for Bradford Council said the local authority is struggling to stop the drivers because they cannot shut the gates and are urging drivers to show some empathy to mourners if they see a funeral taking place.

The spokesperson said: "There is an issue with people driving through Scholemoor Cemetery, using it as a short cut for whatever reason.

“We cannot close the gates to prevent this happening as access is required early in the mornings.

“In the afternoon funerals and cremation services take place at the same time as parents pick up their children from school.

“Using the cemetery as a short cut is not acceptable and we realise the obvious distress caused to mourners attending funerals.

“We will be liaising with the nearby school and with our neighbourhood warden service to try and find a lasting solution to this problem.

“We would ask all drivers to behave responsibly and show some empathy to people who are attending the funerals by not driving through the cemetery, as they would expect this courtesy themselves."

Christine Moran, headteacher at Lidget Green Primary School, added: "We would ask our parents to show as much consideration and responsibility as possible when picking up and dropping off their children."