But the cemetery's communications manager, Karl Wolfenden, said a sign to notify visitors of the change of policy went up in April 2009 and stayed in place for six months.

Mrs Aoutal's five-year-old daughter Lucy died in 2007, two weeks after a life-threatening illness had been diagnosed.

Mrs Aoutal has since then found some comfort in visiting Lucy's grave, which had been decorated with personal items, figurines from family members and a letterbox with a book for visitors to write in.

``I never received any notice from Castlebook and one day got a call from a friend to say the ornaments from her father's grave weren't there, as well as the ones on Lucy's garden,'' she said.

``I ache every day for my daughter and miss her greatly.

``Now I feel I will grimace every time I get to the front gate and brace myself for the hard, cold garden she now has. And the fact that we paid all that money for it [$30,000] and can't have any say in how it presents.''

Mr Wolfenden said the graves were stripped of ornaments for safety reasons and because of complaints that they affected the overall look of the park.

``Castlebrook apologises to anyone who wasn't aware,'' he said.

``This policy balances the needs of all users of the park, making it a safe and beautiful place to visit. In addition to notification, in June a signage was placed on the flower vases we provide for visitors to use to advise them of the forthcoming collection of ornaments.''

Mrs Aoutal says she doesn't ``agree with the way Castlebrook handled this''.

``Outside the office are the items of everyone's graves piled like a council clean-up,'' she said. ``Items are broken and pictures of loved ones are lying on the ground.

``When I visit Lucy's grave now, all I feel is emptiness. I hope soon we'll be able to pretty up her garden again.''

Ornaments will be held for pick-up in front of the main office at the Castlebrook Memorial Park in Rouse Hill.