A bid to create a public right of way through Tenby's New Cemetery was slammed as 'morally wrong' this week.

The North Tenby Residents Association have written to Pembrokeshire County Council requesting that the pathway through the new cemetery from Upper Hill Park and Seascape to Slippery Back be made a public right of way.

However, the request came under fire when it came before members of Tenby Town Council on Tuesday night.

"Although the land is not ours - it was handed to South Pembrokeshire District Council and subsequently Pembrokeshire County Council under local government reorganisation - we run the cemetery," commented Mayor of Tenby, Clr. Mrs. Christine Brown.

"I am a bit disappointed by this request because it means that we will no longer have control what goes on up there."

Clr. Mrs. Brown explained that an access had been created from Upper Hill Park into the cemetery to provide access to graves from people living in this area.

Two years ago, the town council had blocked this access after experiencing problems with people dumping rubbish in the cemetery and exercising their dogs there.

"It caused a lot of controversy and we later agreed to re-open the access to allow people from this area to be able to visit graves," she continued.

"However, this has not stopped the problems. People still let their dogs loose in the cemetery, allowing them to foul on graves, and we've even had people riding bikes and horses through there.

"Can you imagine how devastating it is to people visiting graves to see them covered in dog mess?

"Our gardeners do clean up the cemetery, but they cannot be there 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

Clr. Mrs. Brown said that she understood that people used the path through the cemetery as a 'short cut' .

"I understand that people are reluctant to use the footpath leading down past Seascape and the designated bridle path because they are in bad condition.

"Surely attention should be focused on improving these. Creating a public right of way through the cemetery will give us no rights up there."

Deputy Mayor, Clr. Miss Lis James, felt it was "a travesty" that people should ask for a public right of way through a cemetery.

"This shows no respect for the dead at all," she said. "What price reverence for dead people? This is morally wrong!"

Clr. Mickey Folland suggested that the town council shouldhold a site meeting with the North Tenby Residents Association and county council officers to "see what they intend us to do."

"It may be a way forward," he suggested, adding that the footpaths officer, the cycle path officer and the county's North Tenby representative, Clr. Michael Williams, should also be in attendance.

Clr. Stuart Fecci felt it was "abhorrent that people allow their dogs to foul graves."

"That is exactly what happens," he said. "If you visit the cemetery the evidence speaks for itself and it's awful to think that people want a short cut through the cemetery."

Clr. Trevor Hallett said that the route was in fact longer than using the other footpath; it just seemed shorter.

"It is just people being lazy," he claimed. "In my view, desecration of a graveyard by dog fouling should be a criminal offence."

At the suggestion of Clr. Mrs. Brown, the council agreed to wait for a response from the county council's public rights of way officer before calling a site meeting.