A BRADFORD man has spoken of his "disgust" over the state of the memorial garden where his infant son is buried, describing the area as being a "mess".

Marc Le Grand, who is from Queensbury, says that the Peace Garden at Scholemoor Cemetery has been neglected, with plaques laid on top of each other and roadwork barriers near the graves.

Marc, 41, says he lost his son in 2008, leaving him "devastated".

He says that the state of the Peace Garden - which is intended to be a space for people who have lost young children to reflect - is "completely unacceptable".

"There are plaques laid out everywhere and things from other graves which have just been thrown onto where my son is", he said.

"There's just mess everywhere. It's upsetting, not just for me, but for everyone who has children buried here.

"They've been doing some work around the garden and when I came to lay some flowers last time, I was met with a massive cage and loads of mess.

"It's been like this for months now. There is no regard for the families who come and visit. It's disgraceful and just not good enough."

Marc says the Peace Garden is important to him because it gives him the chance to clear his head and feel closer to his son.

"When my son died I was devastated, but there's nothing you can do. It was just a 'why's this happening to us?' sort of thing.

"I remember holding a small box in a hearse, headed to Scholemoor Cemetery, and it was a very surreal experience.

"Whenever I need to be alone or I need some time to think, I go to the Peace Garden. I like to go there and sit by his grave, it means a lot to me.

"I go up there for a bit of peace - just to be with him for a bit and to have that time.

"I can't go to the graveyard all the time, especially with lockdown, but I used to just walk there all the time, and my current partner, Michelle, also drives me there sometimes.

"I think for the garden to be in that state is very insensitive to all the families who have loved ones there.

"The garden is run by the Council for Mosques - I've been in touch with them about it, but nothing has been done.

"I can't imagine that I'm the only person who has complained, I'm sure that other people will have done too."

In response, the Council for Mosques said that it has regular monthly clean-ups in the area, and also that it is reluctant to move the plaques which Marc says have been left laying around, as doing so could upset or offend the families of the children who the plaques are for.

It added that it is "looking into options" to resolve the matter.

A Council for Mosques spokesperson said: "Council for Mosques Bereavement Services is responsible for the maintenance of the Peace Garden, and we have regular monthly clean-ups.

"It may seem that the plaques are just laid everywhere, however families try to place the plaque as close as possible to where their child is resting. This is a highly sensitive matter and we have been reluctant to move the plaques, but we are working with a designer looking into options.

"Moving forward, in 2021 we intend to landscape and further beautify the cemetery to make it into a tranquil space for families to visit their loved ones, designs are being drawn up for this."