Emmeline Pankhurst’s grave is at the centre of a row, as the suffragette’s great granddaughter said it appeared to have been neglected by officials.

       Helen Pankhurst, a women’s rights activist, said it was “clear” that not much effort had gone into maintaining the grave, at Brompton Cemetery, west London.

       “Given what she stood for and its continued relevance today, it seems particularly important that the systems of the establishment try to support, rather than hinder,” she said.

       It came after Steve Davies, a military grave restorer, inspected the Grade II-listed plinth and described it as “an embarrassment”.

       “I can’t say it’s ever been cleaned,” he said. “It’s in an awful state. The paving around it is as black as night, the lettering and the engraving are barely readable. To me, it’s a national monument and a national disgrace.”

       Mr Davies contacted Ms Pankhurst and offered to clean up the plinth for free. He was given her support but needed permission from the cemetery, which is owned and managed by Royal Parks, and the local council.

       But the conservation officer at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) inspected photographs from 2018 and concluded that, as it was sandstone, a tricky material to clean, it should be left alone. The council’s conservation architect also claimed it did not need cleaning.

       The Royal Parks, which has a duty to conserve listed assets in its care, undertakes quadrennial surveys of all listed assets.

       The most recent survey involving the Pankhurst grave was undertaken in 2018, which recorded that it had chips in it, a slight tilt and was very dirty.

       Whilst noting that there were additional conservation works that could be carried out, no action was taken and it was not cleaned.

       Ms Pankhurst acknowledged that such monuments had to be managed correctly but expressed disappointment that even through official channels, nothing had been done.

       “I don’t know how they decide what they’re going to do, but clearly they’ve not done very much,” she added.

       “I think it needs to be done. It needs to be done for anybody, but particularly if it’s a historical character and there are people coming to view it.”

       She added: “It’s not a one-off. The Emmeline grave is particularly important, but this business about valuing the past and finding ways to protect, both through community and government support, to make sure that happens I think is critical.”

       Ms Pankhurst suggested that the bodies and bureaucracies who make decisions about investment and the protection of such sites should be more sympathetic to their resonance.

       “It’s that level of people that I think need to care more, the people in whose budget or manpower it is,” she told the Telegraph. “It’s not even a question of budgets, just be facilitative rather than obstructive.”

       She agreed that everything her great grandmother fought for was as relevant today as it was 100 years ago, with ongoing campaigns to erect more statues of women.

       “At some points in history you think that everything has been succeeded and equality has been achieved, and then you very quickly realise that that isn’t the case and that things can go backwards as well as forwards,” she said. “So it’s dangerous to assume that we’re there, because we’re not.”

       Cemetery insists immediate cleaning not necessary

       Charli Kerr, the manager of Brompton Cemetery, insisted that any work must be carried out by a professional and only after listed building consent has been granted. She said the statue did not require immediate cleaning.

       “Historic England publicly state that cleaning is a major intervention for a historic monument, so it is our belief this should be done sparingly and only carried out by a professional,” she said.

       “Emmeline Pankhurst’s memorial is made of sandstone, which is a porous material, so excessive cleaning could damage or remove some of the intricate carved details.”

       Royal Parks did not say when the plinth was last cleaned.

       A Kensington and Chelsea Council spokesman said they shared the “commendable desire” to preserve the grave in an appropriate condition and had given advice on how to care for the monument.

       “We are very happy to discuss the best way to sensitively and expertly achieve our shared goal of maintaining this valuable site.” the spokesman said.