A SON claims a vicar made an insensitive comment about 'bird poo' when he complained about the treatment of his mum and dad's grave.

Craig Kendrick, aged 43 has been in a long-running dispute with St Peter's Church burial ground, in Powick, about his parent's grave.

He claims gardeners broke a memorial pot and left cut grass on the headstone earlier this month, although he did not make an official complaint.

He said that when he last complained, the church's vicar the Revd Sue Irwin told him 'well you don’t complain when the birds poo on it do you?'

However Ms Irwin said she does not remember saying this.

Mr Kendrick, of Hereford Road, in Leigh Sinton, said: "It's been going on since 2012, when my dad was buried there.

"It's covered in cut grass. Sometimes I can't even read the name. It's a mess the way they have left it.

"Every Monday they cut the grass. It's the same every time. We clean it with water and a rag.

"I've gone down there before and taken down 50 quid's worth of flowers and come down the next day and they were all out of the holder and covered in grass.

"It needs explaining to the gardeners that these are people's graves and they should be treated as such, it's not some grass verge, it needs to be treated with respect."

Mr Kendrick, a branch manager for National Windscreens, believes the gardeners accidentally damaged the memorial pot at his parents' grave with a strimmer or a mower.

He added that his mother, Ann, was buried in the same place as his father, Denver, when she died from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, aged 68, in 2014.

Mr Kendrick, aged 43, stopped complaining to the church after its vicar responded to his complaint, in 2015, with the 'bird poo' comment.

The Revd Sue Irwin said: “I spoke to Mr Kendrick a number of years ago to try to resolve his issues with the churchyard. I don’t remember using the words he suggests, but apologise if any offence was caused.”

A diocese spokesman said: "We’re very sorry for any upset that has been caused to Mr Kendrick.

"The Revd Sue Irwin has been retired from the parish for over a year and the churchwardens were unaware of his complaint.

"An external contractor is employed to cut the grass and the churchwardens will speak to them about these issues. They are also very happy to speak to Mr Kendrick about the situation.”