What is digging up grave plots?

Woodhall Spa Parish Council has begun an investigation after the earth around some of the graves in the cemetery, in Kirkby Lane, has been disturbed recently.

The damage has seen the grass and ground around the graves either scratched or dug at, and the problem has worsened over the past month or so after it began between the headstones and is now spreading along the central area of the cemetery.

Parish council spokesman and vice chairman, John 
Needham, said: “This is a puzzle we have not been able to solve and it does need to be fixed soon.

“We’ve been given lots of suggestions about what it might be, from badgers or deer, to chafer grubs [soil-dwelling larvae which feed on decaying plant material, plant roots and the roots of grasses which can cause problems in lawns] burrowing in the ground and crows trying to dig them up. We need to sort this out before there’s any further damage to graves as it’s such an emotional time for families and they don’t want their loves ones’ graves damaged.”

The parish council has installed wildlife trail cameras to try and catch the mystery grave digger in the act and they were set up over the weekend.

But so far, the cameras have not captured the culprit. The cameras will be left on site for the remainder of the week.

Mr Needham added: “We will leave the cameras up a little longer as my scent might be stopping whatever animal is doing it.

“So I’ll stay away for a few days.

“If the cameras don’t reveal anything then we’ll look to bring in some experts as we can’t let this go on much longer.

“We don’t want to harm any animals, but we can’t keep going on like this.”

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