FAMILIES who had the ashes of their loved ones buried at Bootham Crescent have expressed their fears over redevelopment plans for the York City football ground.

They have called for a memorial garden to be built by builders if the ground is ever sold for housing.

Over the years, a number of people have had their ashes interred on the pitch after spending their lives following the Minstermen.

Bootham Crescent is not consecrated and, with a homes plan lodged with City of York Council by Persimmon Homes, many relatives are worried that the final resting places of their loved ones could be ripped up if the ground is redeveloped.

But council chiefs today pledged to work with future developers to commemorate those whose ashes are buried at the ground.

Janet Kitchen said the ashes of both her mother and stepfather are at Bootham Crescent. It was upsetting to think their remains could soon be part of the foundations of a house.

She said: "My mother and stepfather, Eddie and Pauline Pitts, were long-term City fans. I know they never expected that anything other than football would be played at Bootham Crescent.

"It is quite upsetting. A memorial garden is something I would like to see."

York City chaplain Chris Cullwick said: "I appreciate the concerns of those families where ashes of loved ones have been interred at Bootham Crescent.

"I have had a number of conversations with those families. I very much hope that, if the club cannot play at Bootham Crescent in the future, arrangements can be made to satisfy those concerns.

"I am sure some effort could be made to commit to some kind of memorial garden and mark the significance of the site."

Cliff Carruthers, the council's head of development control, said: "Fans don't need permission from the council to scatter ashes at the ground and because the site is not consecrated, it doesn't present any legal barrier to redevelopment.

"We recognise the importance of the pitch for people whose relatives' ashes are buried there and, if redevelopment goes ahead, we will work with developers and relatives to commemorate this in a suitable way."

Updated: 09:41 Saturday, March 01, 2003