RULES which limit the type of tributes that mourners can place in a York remembrance garden have come under fire.

Parishioners who use the Garden of Rest at St Mary and St Nicholas Church, Wigginton, have been told that artificial flowers will be removed from memorial stones.

Fixed vases, the planting of flowers and miniature rockeries have also been banned to facilitate grass cutting at the garden.

Former Wigginton resident Graham Hill, 60, who regularly visits the garden to remember his first wife, Meg, said the rules were "unbelievable". He said: "The changes are absolutely appalling, I could barely believe the letter when I read it."

But church leaders have said the rules were in place to allow everyone to enjoy the Garden of Rest and that no memorials will be forcibly changed. The letter states that the parochial church council is concerned at the "various floral appendages" that have been placed in the Garden of Rest.

It says: "We, of course, understand that people will, from time to time, wish to leave floral tributes in the Garden of Rest.

"However, we cannot condone the digging of holes for vases, the planting of flowers and shrubs close to the memorial stones or miniature rockeries and pebbles around the stones."

Mr Hill said he accepted that the garden must be maintained.

But he added: "I cannot accept artificial flowers being taken off, as they keep fresh and keep their colour."

He also criticised the decision to move a bench away from the garden to a place where it overlooked the car park.

Churchwarden Lynda Atkinson said allowing everyone to enjoy the garden while ensuring safety was their biggest concern.

She said: "We just want people to be aware of what the actual rules and regulations are.

"We realise it is a very sensitive issue and by no means do we want to upset anybody."

She said other gravestones may be affected by loose pebbles, stray plant roots and growing shrubs. She added that there had been a "misunderstanding" over the bench after a vandalised seat had been removed.

A bench would be replaced in the spring and another seat with a view over the garden would remain, she said.

Updated: 11:35 Wednesday, November 06, 2002