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'Disgraceful' council threatens to remove memorials

James DiamondBristol
BBC Shannon and Bev stand looking at the camera, with their arms around each other. Shannon wears a grey and white t-shirt with a black trim, while Bev wears a black vest. A tattoo of a face can be seen on Bev's left arm. There is a tree, grass and a road in the background.BBC
Shannon Brimble (left) and mum, Bev Pugh, have been told memorials on her brother's grave must be removed

A council has been accused of "disgraceful" behaviour, after it left notices stating some memorials left on graves in a cemetery must be removed.

Bristol City Council put up signs around South Bristol Cemetery saying those memorials which cover an area larger than the allocated gravesite will be removed, and thrown away, if they are not collected by 1 September.

But Shannon Brimble, 38, whose brother Duane is buried in the cemetery, called the policy "absolutely disgusting and disgraceful". "We didn't buy half a coffin, my brother's not half a person," she told the BBC.

In a statement, council leader Tony Dyer said "almost all families" have complied with the rules, which are clearly outlined.

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In recent weeks, signs from the city council have appeared around the cemetery stating "any memorialisation, including headstones, on a grave space must be confined to a 3ft x 2ft area... in accordance with South Bristol Cemetery Lawn Regulations."

The council state it has "requested twice" that families remove any memorial items they want to keep safe which exceed the given grave space, but say in some cases, this has not happened.

Any items removed from grave areas by the council will be available for families to collect until 1 September, after which they will be thrown away, according to signage.

Brimble and her mother, Bev Pugh, 61, have admitted they did not properly read the rules when Duane passed away.

However, they claim they look after the site better than council staff, accusing those mowing the grass in the cemetery of throwing floral tributes "on the floor".

"We maintain his plot. Everything that's on there is within his fence and we maintain it all the way around it, so I don't know what their issue is," said Brimble.

"We weren't told when we were doing it all, 'you can't have a fence'. If I'd have known that I wouldn't have had him up here," said Pugh.

Kirstie stands on a pavement with a junction behind her, looking at the camera. She wears a grey, patterned top
Kirstie Price is unhappy about how her father's grave is being maintained

Kirstie Price, 39, whose father, David, is buried in the cemetery, described the council's actions as "just wrong".

"They're not respectful up here. You want your loved ones to be left to rest in peace and be looked after, [but] they're not."

Council leader Dyer said: "We appreciate that families have created memorials with care and affection.

But he added: "There are around 400 plots in the affected area. Almost all families have followed the notices and complied with the regulations."

Dyer said when a plot is purchased, "the conditions explain the area in which memorial items may be placed".

"Fences, chippings and other additions covering the full plot can make it harder for people to reach neighbouring graves, present potential trip hazards and restrict essential grounds maintenance."

He said the council has not received any official complaints alleging disrespectful behaviour by cemetery staff.

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