Shrewsbury baby ashes scandal: Memorial could be in Quarry park

Discussions have been held between Glen Perkins - who has spearheaded the Action for Ashes Campaign - Shropshire Council and Shrewsbury Town Council.

However, the mother of one child whose ashes were never returned, has said the onus for creating the memorial should rest with Shropshire Council and not with the bereaved parents.

Rhiannon Davies, whose daughter Kate died in 2009 after being born at Ludlow's midwife-led maternity unit, said: "Despite the fact that we've already given them ideas for the memorial - the wording on the memorial, the placement of the memorial, even people who can create it - they've put it back to us and asked us to engage with other families in order to collect their opinions. I'm not sure you can imagine how emotionally burdensome that would be."

A Shropshire Council spokesman said: "The council has agreed to fund a fitting memorial to all of the children and we want to work with Action for Ashes so that this would be led by the parents, rather than by the council.

"As the individual claims for compensation are being dealt with separately by solicitors for the families, and solicitors for the council, we are unable to comment further at this time."

It is hoped that the memorial will be placed in the Dingle.

Mr Perkins said: "We have not got anything to remember the children by so we asked the council for a memorial to be placed somewhere secure within Shrewsbury.

"We suggested the Dingle and they have agreed to it. I received notification from Clive Wright, [chief executive of Shropshire Council], that they would be prepared to fund a memorial for us.

"To be honest it is impossible to put a price on what we have endured and they need to step up to the mark.

"As far as I am concerned, it is time to stop being nice about things.

"I have been obliging and have met them halfway. They are guilty of many wrong doings and they need to do the right thing here and give us what we are looking for. We are not asking for the earth, we are just asking to be treated right."

Mr Perkins’ four-month-old daughter Olivia died in 2007 and was cremated at Emstrey Crematorium and at the time the family were told there were no ashes. An investigation then found that more than 60 families had been denied ashes at the crematorium.

As a result of the baby ashes scandal in Shrewsbury an inquiry was launched and was used as a template for other investigations around the country.

Following the inquiry's recommendations, potential changes included the appointment of an inspector of crematoria for England and Wales and a new universal code of practice. It also suggested that reviews of crematorium facilities and out-of-hours services provided by coroners could also be undertaken.