Grieving families 'sickened' after headstone decorations labelled 'trip hazards'

Grieving families have said they feel "sickened" after their local authority asked them to remove decorations around the headstones of loved ones.

They say they have been given three weeks to remove borders or any decorations not on the headstones themselves before council workers do it for them.

Marcus Braithwaite, 43, and his sister Claire Braithwaite, 48, have been grieving the loss of their mother Janet Braithwaite, along with their siblings. Janet died in hospital in August 2020 at 70-years-old.

All of the family pay frequent visits to Pant cemetery in Merthyr Tydfil, having placed an iron border in Janet's memory and flowers as decoration.

They say they have been told to remove parts of the memorial within three weeks.

'I felt sick when I heard it, it's unbelievable'

It is thought the new rule affects all cremation plots in the borough, but not burial plots. A council spokesman said the decision was made to protect public safety.

This is the second time Merthyr Tydfil council has made the order - the local authority ordered families to remove decorations in August 2021, but the decision was soon reversed.

Marcus said he found out the news on Mother's Day and that it is having a major impact on his mental health.

He explained: "They just decided on a blanket ban and we've been told to rip them up. I felt sick when I heard it, it's unbelievable."

Claire said it was even more difficult to understand given the local authority had already made a U-turn on the decision last year.

"We had a letter saying we had to remove everything and then we had another letter saying to ignore it and that everything was fine as it was. This was in August.

"We went up there on Mother's Day (Sunday, March 27) and someone told us we would need to take it apart. We rang the council up on Monday and it was confirmed that every cremation spot had to take all their ornaments and fencing off."

Spending more than £1,000 on the iron border, Claire insisted "there is no obstruction in any way" with it being cemented into the ground.

She said: "We've got a brother who was born with brain damage. That's the place he goes to visit her. For him to see that now taken all apart, it's going to be hard for him."

Remembering her mother, Claire explained: "She was a single mother to five children and cared for our disabled brother with brain damage until her death. She was a very liked woman. It's heartbreaking to think we laid her to rest, we thought everything was okay and then this happens."

Similarly, Nicola Edwards from Merthyr Tydfil has been grieving the loss of her brother, Bryan Sheppard, who died in June 2020 after testing positive for Covid. Her mother, Sandra Williams, passed six month later following a brain haemorrhage.

Nicola said she was "disgusted" to have to go through the heartache twice and that the emotional impact on her elderly father, Melvin, had been devastating.

She explained: "We had to dismantle all of the surrounds, pick all the stones up and pick all the flowers up. It's been a terrible few weeks.

"We are devastated. Because we've had to take it all up, my mother is having no peace. We can't put flowers out because there is nowhere to put flowers, so it's literally only a headstone. It's full of mud."

Council statement

A spokesman for Merthyr Tydfil council said: "Temporary fences, chippings and other similar items on the lawn areas in front of Garden of Rest (cremation) headstones are preventing free and easy access to other graves along the rows and are creating a trip hazard.

"We have also received complaints to this effect from cemetery users. In light of this and in the interest of public safety, all unauthorised surrounds/items must be removed from Garden of Rest areas. Please note this does not apply to standard coffin burial plots.

"We appreciate that some families wish to adorn the grave areas of their loved ones, therefore pots are permitted on the memorial base, providing they do not cause any obstruction."