Derry graveside fly-tipping 'shocking'

Seamus Breslin says the cemetery is a sacred place and deserves respect

Serious concerns have been raised over repeated illegal dumping at a cemetery in Londonderry.

Derry City and Strabane District Council has appealed for an end to the continued dumping of waste material at the City Cemetery, which it says "leaves an unsightly mess and puts pressure on staff".

Seamus Breslin, from Friends of Derry City Cemetery, said he had witnessed several people fly-tipping at the cemetery.

Mr Breslin told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today that dumping unwanted items near to where people's loved ones are buried was reprehensible.

Seamus Breslin, from Friends of Derry City Cemetery, says he has witnessed several people dumping waste at the site

"I was here one day and saw a guy stop with his trailer that had a mattress and a sofa in it, he asked me where the skip was so he could dump them," Mr Breslin said.

"I told him: 'This is the cemetery not a public dump'.

"I've also heard of employees here seeing people stopping their cars and throwing black bin bags full of household waste down the embankment.

"It's shocking, it's a lack of respect - it's just laziness.

"This is a sacred place and a special place for people, especially those who have their loved ones buried here.

"My own mother and father, my stillborn baby sister are all buried here."

Mr Breslin said there was a CCTV blackspot at the cemetery and people were misusing it to deliberately dump their waste.

He said the rubbish was creating a bad smell and also attracting rats.

Fr Michael Canny says a cemetery is a sacred place and deserves respect

Fr Michael Canny described the behaviour as "abhorrent".

"There are places that any right-thinking person would consider sacred and deserving of respect, and a cemetery would certainly be one of them," he said.

"People go to the City Cemetery for tranquillity, peace and to remember their loved ones.

Fr Canny said there were a number of public dumps across the city and district, and for people to knowingly go on to the cemetery site and dump waste was inexcusable.

Derry City and Strabane District Council said illegal dumping continued to be a serious issue at the City Cemetery.

The council appealed for people to do their bit to help protect and uphold cleanliness at the site.