THE maintenance of Pershore Cemetery has been awarded to a new company after the previous groundsman retired.

The condition of the cemetery came under close scrutiny last year when a Facebook group campaigning for it to be cleared up attracted more than 600 members.

Now GBD Ltd of Evesham will take on the role for the next 12 months.

Councillor Chris Parsons, chairman of the cemetery committee, said: “We accepted the tender that was the best value for money, not the lowest in cost.

“We have been very conscious about the various complaints we have had. We awarded the contract to a contractor who will collect the grass after it has been cut as this was a problem in the past.”