MOURNERS are now allowed to drive into Newport cemeteries once more, after the council announced it was relaxing its visitor restrictions.

The city council said it had introduced "new safety measures" at St Woolos and Christchurch cemeteries.

Previously, the council had banned vehicle access at the two sites on weekdays, mainly because heavy plant machinery was operating in the cemeteries, but also because of a few individual incidents involving safety and damage.

The vehicle access gates at the two cemeteries will now be open on weekdays between 9am and 5pm. Weekend and bank holiday access will continue as normal.

"Safety for all those using the cemeteries was always our priority," Jane Mudd, the leader of Newport City Council, said. "Access for pedestrians and funeral corteges has been available throughout the week but vehicles were restricted to weekends, bank holidays and religious festivals.

"However, we always recognised that not allowing vehicles to drive into the cemeteries on weekdays caused difficulties for some visitors even though staff did try to accommodate those with mobility issues whenever possible."

The period of restricted access to the cemeteries had proved controversial, with opposition groups calling on the council to reverse its decision.

Cllr Mudd said the council's new budget included more money for improvements at its cemeteries.

“Staff have worked diligently to find solutions that mean that we can now allow vehicles to access the cemeteries on weekdays as well as on weekends," she added. "This will coincide with the start of Lent, an important religious festival.

"A relaxation of the restrictions over the Christmas and New Year period sadly led to some incidents that caused damage and could have resulted in serious injuries. We have also seen other examples of a minority of people driving and parking without regard for others or the sensitive nature of their surroundings.

"We would urge all those who do drive within our cemeteries to drive carefully and park respectfully. There have been times when vehicles have parked on graves, causing damage to grassed areas. This can be very distressing for other people when loved ones’ plots are treated so thoughtlessly."