Father calls for Shrewsbury memorial progress

Glen Perkins from Action for Ashes lost his own daughter Olivia when she was just four months old.

She was cremated at Emstrey Crematorium but her ashes were not returned to her family.

Mr Perkins and the families affected by the scandal were approached by Shropshire Council and Shrewsbury Town Council asking if they wanted a sculpture placed in the Dingle at the heart of The Quarry.

But he says each design put forward by the families has been turned down.

Fighting

Mr Perkins said: “I have been fighting this for five years and I want it to end.

“Originally the council said how about a memorial in the new memorial park they were going to build, but at the time we were working on the ashes inquiry and said we did not want anything.

"Then Shrewsbury Town Council said it would be fine to have a memorial in The Dingle but when we came to them with a design they said no.

"But it is not their choice, it is ours. It is for our babies. It would be a representation of what they did to us. Our babies were neglectfully treated in their final hours.

“It feels like this is one step forward, two steps back. Shropshire Council has been going round in circles and I am losing my patience. I will take this to the Government if I have to.”

Rob Gittins, Shropshire Council’s deputy cabinet member for public health, said: “We appreciate and completely understand this is a very sensitive issue for the families involved.

"As such, the designs had not yet been officially released as we rightly wanted to ensure that all parents had the opportunity to see them before they became public.

"We hope everyone understands that Shropshire Council and Shrewsbury Town Council are working very hard with the families involved and respectfully ask that the conversations are allowed to continue to provide a memorial to everyone’s satisfaction.”

Shrewsbury Town Council declined to comment.