Relatives today claimed a garden of remembrance has been desecrated on church orders.

Contractor Smart Landscapes was employed to tidy up the graveyard at St Mary the Virgin in Felpham, near Bognor.

But parishioners with loved ones buried there say their flowers have been thrown on a heap while trinkets left by youngsters in memory of their grandmother have disappeared.

They described the work as authorised vandalism.

But the company defended its work and dismissed the row as a storm in a teacup.

Leanne Poole, 15, and her sisters Jasmine, 11, and Chloe, 10, of Westloats Gardens, Bognor, went to visit their grandmother's memorial stone two weeks ago only to discover poems they had written and left for her strewn around the garden.

Their mother, Cindy Poole, said: "They were really upset. The grass was supposed to have been strimmed but it was strewn everywhere.

"Artificial flowers we had left on the grave were thrown on to a rubbish heap.

"Two little angels and two fairies are just gone. The poems they had written for their grandmother which had been on laminated paper were just strewn around.

"The garden of remembrance has been totally destroyed by the contractors on the say-so of church officials."

A church spokesman said regular visitors to the graves were warned artificial flowers should be removed by August 17.

Mrs Poole said: "I made two phone calls to the parish office and was assured only unkempt and faded flowers would be removed and that my mother's would be left alone.

"I go to the garden at least twice a week, cut the grass around the stone and keep the flowers nice.

"We visited on August 26, which was my mum's birthday, so my three girls had spent a lot of time writing poems for their nan and they were laminated and placed with fresh flowers.

"I later learnt there had been at least 19 complaints when the note about artificial flowers was pinned to the tree.

"Due to the emotive issues the plan was put on hold. Obviously the contractor was not told.

"If this act of vandalism had been committed by young people I have no doubt of the fury it would cause but this appears to have been sanctioned by the church.

"What sort of message does that send out?"

Howard Bentley, 69, of Copeland Road, Felpham, thought vandals had been at the graves when he went to pay his respects to an aunt.

He said: "The grass that had been strimmed had been sprayed everywhere.

"It appeared to have been done by people who did not care.

"Flowers put on graves had been thrown away and put on a heap."

Contractor Sean Smart said: "This is a storm in a teacup. We strimmed around the graves and let the grass blow away.

"People were told to remove plastic flowers three weeks ago so the ones we found we put in a heap.

"I can't remember putting any trinkets on the heap. I think we are doing a good job."