Mr Webber is at the end of his ­tether with Maitland City Council after trying on numerous occasions to get the cemetery in order.

He said the state of the graveyard, where bishops, ex-servicemen and many of the city’s founding fathers are buried, is an insult to ratepayers and a disrespect to those buried there.

In December, the Mercury reported how McKeachie’s Run couple Jay Quinn and Nicole Way were outraged and saddened at the state of Rutherford Cemetery, where their infant son Noah was buried in September.

They said the cemetery had been left untouched for months and as a result two of their friends took it upon themselves to mow it.

Mr Webber contacted the Mercury to let readers know the same issue was happening on the other side of town.

Council infrastructure projects and building services manager Graeme Matthews said summer was a peak growing season and combined with 14 wet days and record rainfall had caused some delays to the maintenance schedule for Maitland’s local cemeteries.

“Maintenance at Morpeth Cemetery is scheduled to occur later this week,” Mr Matthews said.

Mr Webber realises that contractors are paid by council to maintain the city’s cemeteries.

“Clearly they are not doing their job and there must be someone at council who is in charge of them,” he said.

“This is a heritage cemetery and it is in an appalling state.

“I mow around my wife’s grave and 10 others just to make it look respectable.”

The Mercury has also received complaints this week about the state of Campbell’s Hill Cemetery at Telarah, which was described as an embarrassment.

“This is an absolute insult to the people who pay rates, to those who have bought plots or pay to bury their loved ones,” the resident said.

“I think council department ­managers need to get out and about and see what’s going on.

“They only thing council seems to do on time is send out its rates notices.”