Shropshire Star

Heartbreak as tributes cleared from Shropshire babies' graves

Grieving parents today spoke of their shock at finding their babies' graves had been cleared of tributes at a Shropshire cemetery.

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Stillbirth and neonatal death charity, Shropshire Sands, which created the garden of remembrance dedicated to babies at Shrewsbury Cemetery, said it moved the trinkets after "numerous complaints" about "the health and safety implications of large and glass ornaments".

A post on Shropshire Sands Facebook page said: "It is with regret that we need to inform parents that nearly all ornaments have today been removed from the baby graves.

"We have had numerous complaints from both the cemetery and parents with reference maintaining the graves and the health and safety implications of large and glass ornaments.

"I am sure you would all be devastated if one of the graves was damaged from debris.

"The cemetery has refused to mow around the graves if we do not remove items as they will not be responsible for any damage caused.

"We would have to pay approximately £1,600 in insurance which would be invalidated by damage from ornaments. We have recently spent nearly £3,000 having the headstones reinforced.

"No other Sands group maintains a grave area as we do and as a parent of a baby in these graves I must say I am very grateful to Shropshire Sands for all that they have done and continue to do in the maintenance of the graves.

"Ornaments and objects that are in poor condition or broken have been put in the bin but all other items are under the tree.

"Please collect your items and keep them safely at home.

"We will leave the items here for two months to give parents the opportunity to visit and retrieve items from then on they will be removed and disposed of.

"Very sorry but if we continue to treat the graves in this manner then the cemetery may not provide us with further plots and this would be such a shame for parents in the future.

"We are lucky to have somewhere to go to visit our babies, please think about and respect future families that may sadly be in our position. For and on behalf of the Sands committee."

But families are calling for answers after arriving at the Longden Road cemetery to find their children's graves bare and their toys and ornaments piled together under a tree – while others found out on Facebook.

Cara Byrne's son Finlay was buried at the cemetery 12 years ago when he was born at 21 weeks and lived for just one day.

The housewife from Bicton said she was "heartbroken" to see on Facebook the trinkets on Finlay's grave had been removed.

Mrs Byrne, who lives at The Oval, said: "I thought it was pretty disgusting that I had to find out on Facebook because Shropshire Sands have all of our names and addresses, so why couldn't they have sent us a letter? When I saw it on Facebook I went down there absolutely frantic.

"My son's birthday is on December 1 and it's also the day he died.

"I always go down there on that day and if I'd seen it then it would have been too much to bear. I couldn't believe it."

Mrs Byrne, mother to Alex, 23, Joe, 21, Jenna, 17, Robbie, 14, and Corey, 12, added: "Everything from the graves has been dumped together. It's absolutely heartbreaking."

Heidi Adams, 35, of Hollinswood, Telford, suffered severe pre-eclampsia while pregnant with her son Harrison. He was stillborn at 27 weeks in April 2004 and buried in the garden of remembrance.

She said: "My husband bought him a Corby Matchbox car on the day he was born and it's been with him ever since. But we had to climb over all the other ornaments to try to find it in the pile. It's heartbreaking to see it at home when it should be with Harrison."

A notice at the Longden Road Cemetery for Shropshire Sands said: "Personal tributes have been removed from graves in the Sands baby area. Please collect all items from the area by the end of November."

The Sands charity says the phone line is manned by local volunteers and is therefore not always manned. However any bereaved parents who need to contact Sands can call its national helpline on 0207 4365881.

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