Flowers at child's grave dumped in bin
Heartbroken Linda Goodwin, from Thatcham, said she had been putting bunches at her sister’s grave at Upper Bucklebury cemetery for 40 years without problem until two months ago when she arrived at the burial grounds to find the memorial desecrated.
Michelle Watmore, was only two and half years old in 1972 when she was tragically killed after being struck by a trailer which had come loose from a truck.
Mrs Goodwin, her sister, has been quietly tending the grave ever since.
“It is so hurtful to get there and see the flowers have been thrown in the bin. It’s been fine for so long, I don’t know why this has started now,” she said.
“We can’t put down real flowers because the deer and other wildlife there eat the heads off them, so we put down the artificial ones but they are being dumped.
“I hope someone reads this and is shamed by what they are doing. It shows a complete lack of empathy. To do this to a child’s grave is awful. Nobody has any right to take them.
“There are no signs put around to say you can’t put down fake flowers. Lately when we have been going we have seen flowers from other graves put in the bins too - it’s disgraceful.”
Some cemeteries in West Berkshire do forbid artificial flowers as per their code of practice however there are no signs to state mourners cannot place them at the graves in Bucklebury and given the problems faced by animals near Bucklebury Common eating the flowers the rules are more relaxed.
Bucklebury Parish Council maintains the grounds has said it is also stumped by the problems.
The chairwoman, Wynne Frankum, said the burial board group would try to find a solution.
“The removal of flowers has been a problem for some weeks now even, I understand, fresh ones,” she said.
“It seems very sad that someone should take the law into their own hands instead of approaching the clerk to the council and the burial board who manage the cemetery.
“Silk flowers are allowed in the cemetery and yes fresh ones do get eaten by the deer. One can only assume that somebody dislikes the silk flowers, but to upset the families who tend with love their graves is very sad.”