Image copyright Neil Worswick Image caption Headstones at the graveyard were covered in yellow plastic

Cemetery visitors were shocked to find memorials to loved ones wrapped in yellow plastic by a council which deemed them a danger.

Elizabeth Stevens found her son Ashley's grave covered when she visited The Limes, Cowbridge, on the eve of his birthday on Wednesday.

She and partner Paul returned the next day and removed the material.

The town's mayor has vowed to get the yellow bags replaced with something less "shocking".

Ms Steven's said her partner described the cemetery as looking "like a crime scene".

"It's only a small cemetery, we were just in shock."

The bags were marked with the words, "danger", "unsafe" and "keep away."

They bore a message urging people to: "Please contact the cemetery office," and had red and white tape wrapped round them.

But Ms Stevens said the gravestones did not move when she touched them, adding: "It was disrespectful. There was no compassion, it was unbelievable."

Neil Worswick, whose daughter Natalie is also buried in the cemetery, noticed "40 or 50" stones covered.

He dubbed Cowbridge council "insensitive" for not notifying families in advance.

"I thought it was disgusting, disrespectful," the 67-year-old said.

Mr Worswick, who lives in Cowbridge, said the council had broken its own protocols.

"If they had had a sign on the gates to say this was going to be happening in the next four or five weeks it would give everyone a chance to get prepared," he said.

"But there has been nothing."

Cowbridge Mayor Alec Trousdell said the stones were covered after being checked for safety.

He added: "We very much regret the stress that has been caused by this and especially the rather shocking yellow bags that we had to use as part of the process.

"The ones that are still unsafe we'll find another way of marking.

"There is a risk in some areas but most of them are not a serious risk."