A widower fears he won’t be able to make his monthly visits to his wife’s graveside after concrete barriers were installed at the cemetery.

Kenneth Last, 81, goes to his wife Sheila’s grave at Wilmslow Cemetery , Manchester Road, once a month.

Because Mr Last cannot walk very far, he drives his car up to the graveside.

But on his latest visit, which coincided with their 58th wedding anniversary, he was shocked to discover that two concrete slabs had been placed on the path preventing him from driving to the grave. 

Mr Last, who has been widowed for three years, said: “I have trouble walking and so I need to be very close, but I was left shocked after two concrete slabs blocked the way.”

Fortunately Mr Last, who married Sheila at St Bartholomew’s Church in 1955 and now lives in Crewe, was able to access the grave by parking temporarily in an adjoining work yard, but says the constant need to move for work vehicles means he can’t spend much time there.

He said: “To find I couldn’t spend some proper time at my wife’s grave was very upsetting. It was pouring with rain and as a consequence I only had one minute at my wife’s graveside. The one road nearby was the access road to the work yard and they had their vehicles in and out, each time I had to reverse back along the narrow road.”

A spokesperson for Cheshire East Council said the roadblock was installed as a permanent solution to careless drivers causing damage to other graves.

They said: “We are very concerned to hear of the distress to Mr Last, as we aim to provide a very caring and dignified bereavement service.

“The stone blocks were put in place following complaints from the owners of the graves located at the end of the plots.

“They had been experiencing severe damage to their graves by visitors driving their vehicles across them.

“One of the graves had two thirds of it damaged due to vehicles being driven over, and the owner of this grave was in despair at what could be done to prevent the continual damage that was being caused.

“This so far has been very successful and the owners of the graves are extremely grateful.”