The woman is urging people to show compassion and keep their dogs on a lead when they walk them in Bletchley’s Selbourne Avenue cemetery.

“It’s not just a one off incident, it happens time and time again. You see dog poo on the graves and dogs cocking their legs against the headstone. It’s just so upsetting when people have laid their loved ones to rest there,” she said.

The cemetery, which has previously had problems with waterlogging, is a popular haunt for dog walkers, despite the fact there is a large field nearby .

“All I ask is that, if people must take their pets in the cemetery, they keep them under control and on a lead,” said the widow.

She recently laid top soil on her late husband’s grave in readiness for a new headstone to be erected.

“I went to the cemetery a few days later and dogs had fouled on it. There were paw prints all over and they had even dug a couple of holes,” she said.

The Citizen approached MK Council, which runs the cemetery.

They immediately promised to work with police and the parish council to stop the problem – and impose hefty fines on any dog owners that are caught.

A council spokesman said: “The cemetery is a place for remembrance and it’s a shame some irresponsible dog owners do not respect this. We will work together to protect this area so it remains a place for people to pay their respects in peace.”

Failing to clean up after your dog is an offence in any public area and is punishable by fines of up to £1,000.