Row set aside as respects paid to war dead

The event, organised by John Nicholls of the Commonwealth War Graves Committee, was also attended by Councillor Damian Corfield, himself a veteran.

The Friends of All Saints' Graveyard had been tending to graves at the cemetery in Gospel End Street, Sedgley, since 2019. But chairman Paul Rhodes, who served for seven years in the Royal Navy, said the group was instructed to stop its work in September after a visit from a council official.

The group had previously been praised for its work by Dudley Council.

But the dispute was set aside during yesterday's ceremony at the site, which was attended by about 20 people. Volunteer Bob Freeman thanked Mr Nicholls for his efforts in organising the commemoration.

Chairman of the Friends group, Paul Rhodes, who served in the Royal Navy from 1983-90, said the volunteers were told to stop work on September 28 when a council official visited the cemetery.

"We were told to stop working straight away," said Mr Rhodes, 5.

"They said they didn't like how we were working, but we were keeping to all the rules. We had a management plan in place which the council had given us, and we complied fully with that."

Mr Rhodes, from Lime Road, Sedgley, said the group was formed in 2019 by a group of people who were concerned by the state of the war graves. 

There are thought to be more than 2,000 graves in the cemetery, and more than 100 have been tidied since the volunteers started working at the site.

Mr Rhodes said the cemetery, which has been closed to new burials since the 1960s, belongs to All Saints' Church, but the council was responsible for its maintenance.

Two years ago the group's work was praised by Dudley Council's then cabinet member for highways and pubic realm Councillor Shaz Saleem who said: “We were tremendously impressed with the work the group have already undertaken and we will be working closely with them to ensure that they can continue their good work, allowing continued safe access for both the friends group and visitors to the graveyard.”

Mr Rhodes said he and a few others formed the group after becoming concerned about its overgrown state. I knew there were war graves on the site.

"I noticed the appalling state the graveyard was in, people couldn't get to the graves.  On one occasion I noticed that a wreath had been thrown onto a grave because it could not be accessed."

He said some of the graves had links to the United States, Canada and Egypt.

Councillor Paul Bradley, deputy leader of Dudley Council, said earlier this year the authority became aware of concerning issues relating to the activity of some volunteers in  the graveyard.

“These issues are matters of legal compliance and could also place the safety of the volunteers and wider public at risk," he said.

“Therefore a senior manager was duty bound to stop all work by volunteers at this site, whilst further investigations into the issues and a longer term resolution could be established with all partners and stakeholders."

Councillor Bradley said representatives from the council's ground team and also the Commonwealth War Grave Commission visited the site to review maintenance requirements, and access to Commonwealth war graves.

“Dudley Council’s grounds maintenance operations have been undertaken in the interim and the team will be returning by the end of this year," he said.

"All Saints' graveyard is a complex site and designated as a site of local importance for nature conservation. As such Dudley Council is working towards a longer term plan to try to resolve conflicting issues relating to management and maintenance of the graveyard.”