An Isle of Wight church is once again at the centre of a row over its "disrespectful" policy of removing sentimental items from graves.
Grieving families say they are too "frightened" to put anything on headstones at St Mary's Church, Brading for fear items will disappear.
The church's approach continues to prompt anger and disappointment, two years after the County Press revealed flowers and toys had been removed from a baby's grave and then insensitively bagged up.
Ray Capon said he was "disgusted" to find flowers and a memorial rose bowl were recently taken from the grave of his mother and father, Rose and Frederick.
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Despite the church saying it has told families in advance of tidy-ups ever since the incident in 2023, Ray said he has never been contacted.
The church said it "genuinely" does not know when his items disappeared, but has recompensed Ray for the missing bowl.
Ray said the church's 'graveyard police' have made St Mary's a "dull and horrible" place.
Living on the mainland, Ray chose artificial flowers because they last longer, tying them together so they did not blow away.
He visited the graveyard on the weekend of October 11, knowing the flowers were likely gone, as they have been taken on three previous occasions.
When he got there, he discovered the rose bowl had also disappeared, leaving a "gaping hole" in his parent's headstone.
Suspecting they had been taken, Ray went into the community hall to speak to the church warden and vicar.
"We had this conversation and they were very blasé and said your personal effects are in a box in the church", he said.
"The church warden's attitude made me angry".
Ray could not find the box and was told to buy a new bowl, which the church is "happy to pay for, as a sign of our concern for his understandable distress."
Ray said the church has behaved disgracefully and with no respect for relatives or the deceased.
"My wife and I attended this church every Sunday morning for worship and my mother’s funeral was held in this church.
"We were part of them so why have they acted so disrespectfully to us?", he asked.
A spokesperson for the church said rules that prohibit artificial flowers and ornaments were drawn up by the national Church of England and have not changed in the years since Ray lost his parents.
Since the incident two years ago, the church has tidied up the churchyard every six months, the spokesperson said.
They said all removed items are left in labelled cardboard boxes at the back of the church for six weeks.
"We will now make a specific commitment to email Ray one month before each time we tidy up the churchyard, to ensure he is aware this will happen", the spokesperson added.
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