Grieving Shropshire families angry after grave tributes clear-up

Whitchurch Cemetery Board has removed some old and broken tributes as part of a tidy-up after complaints about the area looking unsightly. But campaigners say the clear-up was "disrespectful" to those buried there.

A Facebook group "Say no to save loved ones' items" has been set up and already has more than 1,000 members, and an online petition has attracted 223 signatures.

Sophie Evans, 23, of Park Road, Whitchurch, whose brother Jamie is buried at the cemetery, said people are disgusted that items have been removed.

She said: "Lots of people have been affected by this.

"We heard about the clear-up and went to the cemetery to see the workmen laughing and joking while they removed the items from the graves.

"It was so disrespectful. We have been to take everything from my brother's grave as my mum, Sue, was petrified it was all going to be chucked away.

"It is really upsetting as it now looks like he is unloved. He was 10 when he died after going to the dentist to have some teeth out, and had a brain haemorrhage.

"It still hurts now, years on. We are being told we can't do this and that. Artificial flowers should be allowed as some people can't get to the cemetery every week."

"The rules are too strict – within reason, people should be able to look after the graves as they like," she said.

"We pay for them for 100 years and to me that means we should be able to pick the gravestone and have what you want.

"It is disrespectful and disgraceful."

Councillor Ticker Harris, who is chairman of the board responsible for the cemetery, said the clear-up operation was done to keep the cemetery tidy.

He said only items such as dead flowers, wreaths, dead potted plants, broken glass and faded artificial flowers would be removed – no personal items were taken.

Councillor Harris said: "If people didn't leave broken things, dead wreaths or faded plastic flowers we wouldn't get complaints saying the cemetery is a disgrace.

"Things that are left rotting on a grave and three-year-old holly wreaths look awful.

"All we are doing is tidying up the cemetery.

"Whitchurch Cemetery is a lawn cemetery, designed on the 'war grave' principle; only memorials of a limited size are allowed, with the rest of the plot laid to lawn.

"People buying a grave do not own the land. They purchase the exclusive right of burial there on a 100-year lease, giving the the right to have a headstone and maintain it for 100 years, then it reverts back to the cemetery to maintain it.

"We have not received any complaints ourselves.

"We are not removing anything that isn't damaged or degraded in any way."

• To sign the petition, visit: www.peti tions24.com/signatures/say_no_too_save_loved_ones_items_whitchurch_cemetery