THE son of a Salisbury couple whose ashes were scattered among the rose bushes at Salisbury Crematorium said he has been left with nowhere to go to pay his respects after the shrubs were removed.

The rose bushes at the crematorium, in London Road, were removed by Salisbury City Council as deer were eating them.

The council stopped selling roses in 2011 and earlier this month they wrote to families affected to offer them compensation, including a message in the book of condolences and discounts on other memorials, including plaques.

Michael Mora, who lives in France, visits the crematorium each year to pay his respects to his parents, Charles and Mary Mora, who lived in Salisbury for most of their lives.

“My mother died 18 years ago and the rose was there last year untouched,” he said. “My father will have been dead ten years next year and his rose was there untouched as well.”

Mr Mora asked if he could collect the roses and the plaque for his parents when he is next in the country but was told they have already been removed.

“If the saliva from the deer kills the rose trees, why don’t they offer something else, such as an alternative shrub?” he said.

“I think it was totally insensitive to have a letter sent out when they have already been removed.

“I have heard certain discussions took place but they didn’t seem to take place with the relatives whose remembrance roses are up there.

“I come back every year to visit my parents but now I’ve got nowhere to go.”

Salisbury City Council clerk Reg Williams said: “It is an extremely difficult situation. The deer are eating the roses and there is nothing we can do to stop them; it’s a vicious circle and what is up there at the moment looks appalling. We’ve got to do something positive rather than leave it.

“It is possible to put other shrubs in, but it wouldn’t be very decorative and we wouldn’t be able to put in as many as the roses. We are conscious that moving away from roses to another type of shrub wouldn’t have the effect that roses have.”

He added that the plaques have all been kept and can be returned to relatives.