MOURNERS have been left feeling unsafe while visiting the graves of their loved ones after a number of anti-social incidents at Basingstoke’s cemetery.

Officials at Worting Road Cemetery have been forced to lock the toilets after drug paraphernalia was discovered in the bathrooms.

On one occasion, staff were said to have walked in on people taking drugs.

The incidents are a part of a wider issue with anti-social thugs using the place of reflection as a hang out, a source told this newspaper.

A woman who regularly visited a relative’s grave has been put off returning after she was hounded by a group of men who hurled abuse at her.

And on a separate occasion, a mourner was left shocked to discover stone ornaments left in the memory of her loved one had been stolen.

While it wasn’t worth a lot in monetary terms, the woman told the Gazette it had sentimental value to the family.

Another visitor to the cemetery said she had pots of flowers stolen from the grave of her son, who she visits every day.

She said: “I spoke to the cemetery officers, and they closed off the entrance people were using to slip in. I think there should be CCTV around here, but it would be costly.”

“A lot of people drive through here or walk through as a shortcut. I understand this isn’t someone’s private sitting room, but for lots of people, this is a painful place to be. I think anyone who steals flowers from children’s graves must have something wrong with them.”

Hampshire Constabulary encouraged any incidents to be reported to police.

A spokesman said: “We received a third-party report on September 18 of a group of people acting in an anti-social manner at the Worting Road Cemetery.

“We would encourage people to continue to report incidents in this area to us so we can develop an evidential picture of the scale of the issues.”

A public notice has been erected at the cemetery to let mourners know the toilets have been closed ‘indefinitely’.

Visitors still have access to the disabled bathrooms on-site though this service is not available at weekends.