A woman is fighting for better bus stops and public access outside a crematorium so people can mourn safely.

Anna-Rose Mersh uses the 190 route to get from her home in Gravesend to Thamesview Crematorium and Cemetery in Shorne where she visits her grandparents' grave but said she is putting her life at risk doing so.

Anna-Rose Mersh explains the issues with public access

She added: "The problem is there is no public access for people on foot, it is only for cars and the footpath finishes at the hedge.

"There is no crossing and there really needs to be disabled access because nobody except able-bodied people can access the crematorium. Bus drivers have to break the law in order to stop outside.

"You cannot safely get off a bus here. You cannot safely cross the road here. You cannot safely cross the road anywhere, even on the crossings further down there is a high step.

"How can you get a mobility scooter there? If someone is getting the bus, they are taking their life into their hands."

There are two bus stops either side of the road, around a five-minute walk from the crematorium on Gravesend Road in both directions.

On the north side there is a path that runs up to the entrance to the crematorium but not on the other, meaning people getting off public transport do so onto a grass verge with a slab of pavement on the side of a 50mph road.

They then have to walk along the green land to a small stretch of pavement to cross the road safely at the designated spot.

Anna-Rose, 37, who lives in Gravesend Road said this journey is near impossible on a wheelchair or mobility scooter as uneven surfaces and loose gravel can get under and affect the mechanics.

The special needs teaching assistant and health care assistant reported the issue to the council in 2018 but said although a new pavement has been put down it is still not good enough.

She said: "As a carer, if I had a client that wanted to come here, I could not bring them. The risk assessment would be red all over and it would be the highest grade of risk.

"There needs to be a bus stop with a shelter and a bench. There needs to be proper footpaths and disabled access stops. It is long overdue.

"If they do not have proper access they are not safe to come here. How can they grieve properly if they do not have access to see their loved ones."

Anna-Rose's grandparents – who are interred at the cemetery – were both council members and she said they would have taken up this cause and "not let it go".

Her grandad Alfred Mersh worked for Kent County Council (KCC) and her nana Margaret Mersh was once the mayor of Gravesham.

She said: "This would have been their baby. They would have jumped on this and said we need to have a bus stop here."

Anna-Rose wants a stop added onto the existing route that is directly outside the entrance to the crematorium and not a five-minute walk away.

A KCC spokesman said: "There is an existing footway on the north side of the A226 Gravesend Road fronting the entrance to the crematorium which runs from Higham to Gravesend along with segregated on-road cycle lanes.

"All of the bus stops on the south side of the road include hard surfaced areas for bus passengers to wait. Not all bus stops are the responsibility of KCC but we will arrange for the existing stops to be inspected.

"Managing the speed of traffic is essential to continue reducing the number of and severity of casualties on our roads. Kent Police is responsible for the enforcement of speed limits.

"We are happy to consider all requests as long as residents go through the steps outlined on our website."