BADGERS have been ‘causing havoc’ at a Clevedon church yard where graves have been disturbed by the animals.

A large badger sett with several entrances can be found in one corner of St Andrew’s Church yard in Old Church Road and the activities of its residents have caused some gravestones to be dislodged, causing great concern for relatives of those who are buried there.

Allan Simpson was left shocked when he visited the grave of his wife, Elizabeth, who died in 2007 at the age of 78 and daughter, Louise, who died when she was just a few days old.

Mr Simpson said: “I visited recently and was absolutely appalled. I hadn’t been there for some months and couldn’t believe what I saw.

“It looks as though the badgers have been attacking the graves.

“I am beside myself as I will probably be buried there too.

“I think this badger sett has been there for some time.

“With the allotment site nearby, I think it provides good fodder for the badgers.

“Other people’s graves have been affected as well.”

Mr Simpson, aged 78, now lives in Cambridgeshire but bought the grave for his daughter while he was living in Nailsea, at the time she was born.

A North Somerset Council spokesman explained that an officer had been to the church yard to look at the problem and that he will now speak to staff at Diginty about it - the company that maintains churchyards in North Somerset.

The spokesman added: “It is likely they will take measures to deal with the problem but that will have to be in conjunction with Natural England and subject to the various orders concerning badgers.

“This is quite a large badger sett with several entrances.”