Residents upset after Fakenham Town Council calls for items to be removed from graves at Creake Road Cemetery

Residents have slammed demands to remove items from loved ones’ graves as “disgusting and disrespectful”.

Several people received letters from Fakenham Town Council last week asking them to remove items such as astroturf, breakable vases/pots, solar lights, mole scarers, windmills, ornaments, wooden and metal surrounds and pebbles from the town’s Creake Road Cemetery as they are not permitted.

Now, some residents say they are prepared to fight against this so they are able to have what they want on the site.

Tina Prior, who lost her son Craig Prior when he was 18 and whose grave is at the cemetery, received her letter on Friday.

She said: “It did upset me, it wasn’t a rude letter but it was just to the point.”

“I think it’s disgusting and disrespectful.

“We’ve paid for that plot, it’s not cheap to have a funeral and pay for the headstone, so I think we should be able to have on it what we like.”

On its website, Fakenham Town Council (FTC) says that the items are not permitted “for grounds maintenance and health and safety reasons.”

“It's a silly rule, just leave people to grieve how they want, leave us alone,” Tina added.

The letters came about after FTC staff carried out an inspection, where they made note of graves that did not comply with regulations.

Residents now have until May 31 to remove the prohibited items, after which date the council will put them in storage where they can be arranged to be collected.

Mandy Newman, who has graves for both her parents and her brother on the site, agrees with Tina and said: “I’m not happy at all about removing pots etcetera from graves.

“It’s bad enough losing our loved ones, who we miss so much, then to have the council tell us that we cannot put things on it is appalling.”

While some agree that breakable items can be dangerous, others think that restricting astroturfs, mole scarers, solar lights and pebbles is unnecessary.

The council’s town clerk said: “We completely understand and respect the wishes of bereaved families who want to remember loved ones with mementoes.

“However, we are required to uphold Health and Safety regulations to ensure visitors to the cemeteries, and the grounds staff mowing and strimming to keep the cemeteries in good order are not put at risk.

“We placed some notices up before the inspection requesting for non-permitted items to be removed, and we thank the families who voluntarily did so. Now we are having to write to those few who did not.”