Families told to move grave tributes

Families who have been putting solar lights and memorial items on graves in a Shropshire cemetery are in shock after being told they have to remove them.

The Hengoed cemetery near Oswestry is, councillors say, one of the best tended cemeteries in the area. But they say contractors cutting the grass around the graves are finding it difficult to get their machinery around the lights and other memorial items.

Now letters have been sent to plot owners asking them to remove items that do not comply with the cemetery regulations.

One mother, whose two sons are buried together in the cemetery, said that as long as the lights were within the boundaries of the plot, she could not see a problem.

Sue Williams put a solar light by the grave of sons Pete, who died in a road accident aged 25 in 1999, and Paul, who died in a motorcycle accident, aged 34, just over a year ago.

"The people who decide on these rules should think about the people who they affect," she said."Losing a child is completely different from other bereavement and, especially for those who have lost young children, I am sure that putting a light at the grave gives them some comfort.

"Little children are scared of the dark and, if they were alive, you would leave a light on for them - that's what mothers do."

She said she and her husband Joe had asked the authorities if they could be responsible for cutting the grass around their sons' grave.

The problems were raised at a meeting of Selattyn and Gobowen Parish Council.

Councillor David Lloyd said that although members empathised with the family and friends - who were doing a very good job tending to the graves of loved ones - there did have to be guidelines in place to allow a good level of maintenance within the cemetery.

"We have one of the best maintained cemeteries in the area and it would be a shame if the grass cutting was hampered to spoil that," he said.

The letter said 28 days' notice would be given for the removal of the lights, along with any memorial items found exceeding the specified areas.

The council also agreed to do work on shrubs within the cemetery, look at resurfacing part of footpath and contact stonemasons about discarded slabs that have been left in the cemetery.