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Disgusted West Ham fans have hit out at the “appalling” state of the supporters’ memorial garden after the club moved out of its former home.

Relatives of supporters who are commemorated at the garden said they were saddened to see the site left trashed and overgrown – despite the club promising to protect the resting place.

Earlier this year, West Ham United moved from its Upton Park home to the Olympic Park stadium in Stratford.

The memorial garden, in the club’s former Boleyn Ground, has been used for years by families wanting to scatter ashes and put up commemorative plaques in memory of their loved-ones.

But photos taken just weeks after the club started the new season at the new stadium show the garden looking unkempt and overrun with litter.

Joe Wilks, 22, said he and his family were left “shocked and upset” at the state of the memorial site, which is home to a plaque remembering Joe’s grandad, Len Wilks.

Dagenham Docks worker Mr Wilks was a lifelong West Ham fan and died of cancer in 2005 aged 72.

Joe, who was just 11 when his grandad died, said: “It’s sad. All of our fans’ remains are there and it’s like it doesn’t matter to the club, that they have left now.

“These fans were part of the club and that’s just been forgotten about.

“We haven’t told my nan because she will get too upset.”

Mr Wilks, who is from Carshalton, added: “It’s very shambolic. The state of it is just shocking, all cups have been thrown in there, overgrown.

“One of the plaques, not my grandad’s, has been knocked off completely. You can see where it was and now it’s just lying on the floor.

“I was shocked. They promised us it will be looked after.

“My grandad had been going to matches since he was five years old. He always went down to the games when he could.

“The problem is, we can’t get into there to tidy it up. We usually go in there regularly to tidy it up but we can’t because there are metal barriers.”

Fellow West Ham fan Colin Loadman told the Standard: “I was very shocked at the state of it. I am not sure where the blame lies but I am sure the club could have done more to stop this happening.

“I do think the club have a moral responsibility to the fans who have had their ashes scattered there.”

Supporter Jayne Johnston said: “The state of the memorial garden is appalling.

“People have relatives scattered there and personally I think it is heart-breaking for the families involved."

Another West Ham fan, who did not wish to be named, said: "Basically it is in a terrible state, it was meant to be maintained and looked after but the picture clearly shows strewn rubbish, upturned plaques and got knows what else."

The families have tried to complain the club as well as messaging the chairmen via Twitter.

Since the complaints, the club has now sent workers down to the memorial garden to tidy up the mess.

A West Ham spokesperson told the Standard: “The garden has been temporarily boarded up to protect it while construction work is going on.

“Barratt London has commissioned landscape works to maintain and enhance the garden for the long-term, and make it fully accessible to the public.

“In the interim, they have agreed to admit a West Ham grounds-keeping team on a regular basis to keep the garden tidy, and visitors wishing to pay their respects can contact info@hardhat.co.uk to arrange special access."

The developers of Boleyn Ground, Barratt London, still plan to maintain the site and have promised to bring in landscape workers to enhance the garden.