Relatives stage sit-in over grave tributes removal

Mourners say they will return to Saint Mary Magdalene Church in Albrighton as many times as necessary to make the diocese abandon its call for the removal of the ornaments.

Sharon Maiden, 43, of Dawley Bank, Telford, has several members of her family buried at the church, including her mother Ada, brother and sister, George and Janie Summers, and her grandparents.

She said: "The church tried to do something similar last year but nothing came from it. This one seems more official because it has put put up posters.

"Monday was supposed to be the day they removed the ornaments but they are our loved ones and we have all paid good money for them to be buried here.

"This will have an affect on future generations as well but all we keep being told this has to happened for health and safety, and for maintenance."

The row started when signs appeared in the graveyard last month warning ornaments would be taken away if they were not removed.

Mrs Maiden, one of 11 brothers and sisters, said one of the biggest frustration was not being able to speak to anyone from the church about the issue.

Her brother, Terry Summers, 63, of Abney Avenue, Albrighton, said the family would keep on fighting until the rules were changed again.

He said he had helped gather more than 2,000 signatures against the church's plans both online, through Facebook page 'Our Loved Ones, Our Choice', and in paper form.

"This does not stop here today and I didn't think they would come and start removing the ornaments straight away," he said.

"That will probably come further down the line, once the church thinks everything has calmed down.

"If they try and take the ornaments off any graves belonging to a member of my family I will do them for theft. If I went into the church and just took a book what would happen? I'd be in court the next day.

"We have all paid for these plots and we all come from a big family but I don't want to be buried here anymore. This has put me off but we will fight for our loved ones who no longer have a voice."

Sharon Adams, 40, regularly visits the churchyard to pay respects to her grandparents and daughter.

The mother-of-two, who lives with her partner, Paul Marsh, lost her daughter, Lilly, who was stillborn in April 2011.

The grandparents who raised her died when she was 20 and she said the church's actions had made her relive some of her worst memories. Miss Adams, who was at the sit-in with her two daughters, five-year-old Millie and two-year-old Evie, was born at Cosford and raised in Albrighton.

She said: "The first I knew about it was when I was on holiday and a friend of mine asked if I had seen the new posters.

"It has been quite a stressful thing to happen but they cannot speak for themselves so I have to represent them.

"Whenever we go away, our children bring back a present for their sister to put beside the grave and now we're being told they cannot be kept on there.

"My daughter's grave has been damaged before by strimmers and we just feel they have no respect for us whatsoever.

"You can never completely get over the deaths but the memorials help you move on.

"We have even offered to club together and cut the grass near the graves ourselves if it becomes that much of an issue.

"Nobody from the church will sit down and speak to us."

No one from the church or the Diocese of Lichfield was available for comment. The church said earlier this month that it was not in a position to comment on the issue at this time.