THE authorities at St John's Parish Church in Bromsgrove are hopeful the ancient Grade I listed churchyard may soon be restored to its usual trim condition.

So far this year the grass has not been cut resulting in it becoming a wilderness.

This is particularly unfortunate for officials who say they often feel embarrassed especially as the wedding season is well underway and St John's is presently much in the news over its appeal to raise £700,000 for urgent restoration work. Several people,in particular, those about to marry have complained.

Bromsgrove District Council had traditionally mowed the churchyard, which has graves dating back to the mid-1500s, but earlier this year a dispute arose over the safety of staff and visitors due to the authority's claim some of the heavy headstones were unsafe.

The council, to the church's dismay, wanted to lay them down. However, after a heated meeting the two sides agreed to a joint inspection which according to the vicar, the Rev Nigel Marns, resulted in no unsafe headstones being found.

But the council disagreed, claiming a dozen or so posed a threat to staff in line with health and safety regulations. In desperation, Mr Marns contacted council leader Councillor Dennis Norton (Con-St Johns). The result is that the council will resume grass cutting, but only after the suspect graves have been securely fenced off.

Mr Marns said: "I'm hoping Councillor Norton's intervention will result in the grass being cut within the next few days.

"We thought we had reached an agreement with the council, but it appeared they went back on it."

It is believed the length of the grass may have contributed to a mugging in the churchyard last week.

A man apparently came out of nowhere and snatched a woman's handbag.

A witness to the incident said the man had possibly hidden in the long grass. The woman was not injured.