A WELL-known Ross-on-Wye farming family has apologised after their herd of dairy cows ran amok through a council graveyard.

The animals found their way into the Tudorville cemetery on Walford Road from nearby Vine Tree Farm, owned by the Boyntons.

An area of the cemetery is now covered in deep hoof prints and a number of the graves were trampled on. Nearby resident Cyril Jenkins, whose son - Falklands hero Timmy - is buried at Tudorville, put the blame on local vandals.

"They left a nearby gate open - we'll have to get a padlock put on it," he said.

A council report into the damage is being compiled and an NFU insurance assessor visited the site this week.

A spokesperson for Ross Town Council said that a wet April had contributed to the damage.

"The ground is very soft - the cows hoofs have just sunk into the turf," he said.

"No headstones were affected and the damage to the graveyard is pretty minor. But if it had been your mum or dad's grave you would have been very upset."

The Boynton family said that it had been a 'minor incident' but added that they 'wished to apologise for any distress caused.'