Soldier ashes site a ‘quagmire’ after nearby trees cut

Supporters of the Durham Light Infantry Museum visited the site a year after its closure

Construction work on a site where the ashes of soldiers are scattered has been likened by campaigners to a “desecration”.

The site of the former Durham Light Infantry (DLI) Museum is being renovated into a new exhibition centre.

As part of this work, trees are being cut down near the area where the ashes of fallen soldiers had been scattered.

Critics have described the construction site as a “quagmire”.

Diane Inglis, who is part of the Faithful Durham campaign group, said she was horrified when she visited the site this weekend.

“It’s an absolute desecration of the place,” she said.

'Absolute vandalism'

Ms Inglis added: “We understood they wanted to take trees out, but they said it would be done respectfully.

"We went along and where the stone with 12 Victoria Cross holders was located it is just like a quagmire.

“There’s loads of tyre marks, it just looks like a bog – and that’s the main area where the ashes are scattered. It’s absolute vandalism.”

The DLI museum closed in 2016 after falling into a state of disrepair, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Durham County Council said that the area of the museum where the ashes are scattered is currently taped off from where the trees are being felled and is out of bounds for construction workers.

Elizabeth Scott, at Durham County Council, said before proper construction work begins on the site, the topsoil from the site will be removed, preserved and re-laid in a “new reflective garden area”.

“When complete, the new extended and refurbished building will bring the DLI Museum and Art Gallery back into use as a cultural community asset and visitor destination,” she said.

“It will include a dedicated space to display key objects from the DLI collection.”