D-Day anniversary commemorations were soured for many people in Wirral by council neglect of grassed areas around Hamilton Square’s memorial stones.

Alison Parker, from Upton said she and her family were “heartbroken” and “furious” after finding commemoration stones almost obscured by a tangle of overgrown grass.

Alison said: “The grass was up to our knees – it was totally disrespectful and as absolute disgrace. We go there every year and have never seen it like that before.”

The family had gone to Hamilton Square as a mark of respect to their Birkenhead-born forebear Les Parry who served in the Irish Guards at the Normandy landings..

Alison’s son Sam said they were “disgusted and shocked to find memorials in such a bad state.”

He added: “No effort had been made to keep the grass at bay. Other areas around the stone had been cut and this stuck out like a sore thumb.

“We found out this was the fault of the council’s gardening service and questioned why and how they could let this happen on such a poignant day.”

Senior Liberal Democrat councillor Stuart Kelly was equally critical.

He said: “I was appalled to visit the cenotaph at Hamilton Square to find they hadn’t even bothered to cut the grass around the memorial stones near to the cenotaph.

“This is totally unacceptable, particularly as many relatives and servicemen and women will have visited Hamilton Square to pay their respects during last week’s commemoration of the D-Day invasion.

“Wirral Council has let itself down badly with this shoddy display.”

A council spokesman said: “Between March and October, the grass in Hamilton Square is cut approximately every 12 days, however, we have not been able to mow these small areas of lawn by the cenotaph because they contain bulbs, and they need to remain uncut for a certain number of weeks following flowering, otherwise they would not flower as well next year.

"There was no intention to show lack of respect, and would like to apologise to anyone who was offended."