A VICAR is praying for helpers to cut through 6ft high grass in his over-grown Rowley Regis churchyard – after grieving relatives were left in tears as they searched in vain for the graves of their loved ones.

A combination of torrential rain and brilliant sunshine has produced super growing conditions for the grass at St Giles Church.

Offenders have previously kept the churchyard mowed under the Community Payback Scheme, but Rev’d Ian Shelton said staffing problems had prevented them from doing the work.

He said: “The grass is completely out of control. A lot of people are, quite understandably, very upset about the state of the churchyard.

“A lot of people have loved ones buried there and I have had people in tears on the telephone who could not get to their graves.”

His largely ageing congregation and children from Westminster Special School have tried their hardest to tackle the growing problem.

But Rev’d Shelton is now calling on local people to come together on Saturday July 12 to cut the grass, which has rocketed to up to 6ft high in places.

Scouts have already offered to help and anyone who can assist is asked to go along to the churchyard, off Church Road, from 10am.