A grieving mother was fined after she put too many flowers on her seven year-old daughter’s grave.
Emma Townsend applied the flowers to her commemorate the death of her daughter, Abigail, who died from a brain tumour in 2010, and she was shocked to find the penalty notice attached to her headstone.
Townsend stated, “I presumed it would be something nice but as I walked over I saw it was a notice telling me the grave did not comply with cemetery rules. I was completely devastated. Whoever put it there surely still has humanity. They could see my daughter’s face in the tributes.”
She went on to add, “That place was sacred to the loved ones. The council have treated it like a car park.”
Emma Townsend wasn’t the only victim of this heinous penalty. Others were fined for having too many flower pots, with the “grief tax” ranging from either $79 to $133, depending on the size of the grave.”
The note to those who visit the grave tells them that they need to buy council permits if they want to place more than one set of flowers on the grave.
The penalty notice reads, “Additional items are placed on this grave, which unfortunately do not comply with the cemetery guidelines. It is necessary to apply for a garden permit or the items will be removed.
Rebecca Day, whose grandmother is buried in the graveyard, admitted that she wept when she found the notice attached to the headstone. The 37-year-old proclaimed, “It’s disgusting.”
Meanwhile, Amber Valley Council, who oversee Alfreton Cemetery in Derbyshire where the permits have been found, defended their decision. A spokeswoman stated, “When someone has a garden it makes it more difficult for the area to be maintained.”
Do you think that Amber Valley Council are insensitive?
[Image via Francisco Javier Gil/Shutterstock]
