 Rabbits are burrowing underneath the graves |
An explosion in rabbit numbers has led to calls for a cull because of safety fears at a town's cemetery. The rabbits have been burrowing under graves at Porthcawl Cemetery, destabilising the headstones.
Local people fear that the headstones could fall and cause injury to visitors to the cemetery.
But Bridgend Council has said that a cull is not appropriate at the site and that the rabbit population will decline over the next few weeks.
 |  They are burrowing under the graves and are making them very unstable  |
Councillor Tudor Greaves said that people in the town were worried about the damage that the rabbits were causing in the cemetery.
"They are attracted by the flowers people leave on the graves," he said.
"But they are burrowing under the graves and are making them very unstable.
"People are very worried that the stones are going to fall and injure someone - if one of those fell on a child they could be killed."
Mr Greaves who has lived in the town since 1969 said that the population of rabbit in the town has soared this year.
"There are dozens of them - I've never seen so many as I've seen this year," he said.
"In the cemetery they are safe from traffic and are thriving there.
"One woman went there to put some flowers on the grave and when she went the next day, all that was left of the flowers were stems.
"They are causing a safety risk by burrowing under the graves.
"I wouldn't like to see myxomatosis brought in but I think something needs to be done about the problem," he added.
A resident, who did not want to be named, said that she was very concerned about the damage the rabbits were causing in the cemetery.
"The headstones are unstable and there are holes all over the place - anyone could fall over and hurt themselves," she said.
"I am an animal lover but there are just too many rabbits there and they are causing so much damage.
"Something needs to be done now because otherwise what is going to happen next year and the year after that - rabbits breed so quickly, we will be over run with them," she added.
Pest control
But Bridgend Council has said that dealing with the problem of the large rabbit population is best left to nature.
"Rabbit populations are at their greatest at this time of year," said a spokesman.
"With the onset of autumn they will naturally decline due to adverse weather conditions and natural predators.
"Control of populations by various pest control measures is usually the responsibility of the landowner."