HEADSTONES: Ian Thornton at the site of the pet graves at the Millgate Pet Cemetery, which he wants to move to create a new garden.

A pet cemetery near York was at the centre of controversy today over plans to move headstones away from the graves of pets buried there.

The new owners of the Millgate Pet Cemetery, at Huby, want to create a garden on the land where the graves are presently sited. But one woman whose dogs are buried in the cemetery says she is outraged by the idea.

Maureen Jackson, 61, who lives off Foxwood Lane, in York, says she has been told that the headstones for her dogs Toby and Prince, and for other dead pets, are going to be moved to an adjacent plot which is over a bridge from the cemetery.

The two dogs were buried at the cemetery in 1996 - but new owners Ian and Alexandra Thornton, who have bought the land which includes the cemetery, want to move the headstones to a neighbouring plot. They say the headstones - which number about 15 - will not be moved for at least three years.

They also say that they have spent thousands of pounds on developing a new site for the headstones, which will even include a car park for owners of pets buried there.

But Maureen Jackson said: "I was outraged when I heard what they want do. Those dogs were my babies and I have paid a lot of money for the headstones and the graves to be well maintained.

"I thought they would be there forever. Now the headstones are going to be taken away to another place so I won't be able to go to where they are buried. It's not like we are always there trampling over their land, we only go there every two or three weeks just to lay flowers."

But Mr and Mrs Thornton claim they have seen Maureen and her family visit the graves only once in the two years that they have owned the land.

They added that they have informed all owners of pets in the cemetery about their plans and that Maureen's complaint is the only one they have received.

Mr Thornton said: "I'm an animal lover - we have four dogs and two cats. I would never want to disturb an animal's grave. That is why we are only moving the headstones.

"But if people want the remains moved with the headstone to the new plot then I will personally do that for them."

He added: "When we bought the property the grass was so overgrown you couldn't even see the headstones. We are spending a lot of money on grass cutting and hedge trimming and not getting a penny out of it."

Mr Thornton stressed: "There is nothing official about this cemetery and we have no legal obligation to even keep it open. But on compassionate grounds we have. All the grass has to grow in the new plot and we have a lot more work to do so we will not be even moving the headstones for at least three years."

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