Anger over flooded graves at South Bristol Cemetery

Abdul Malik says the Muslim section of South Bristol Cemetery is often flooded

A mosque chairman says he is at his "wit's end" over flooding in a council-owned cemetery.

The dedicated Muslim plot in South Bristol Cemetery lies at the lowest point of the site, meaning in winter it is often waterlogged.

Abdul Malik said he prayed "no-one dies in this weather" due to the state of the ground.

Bristol City Council (BCC) said it was working with the local Muslim community to agree on improvements.

Mr Malik, who is chair of Easton Jamia Mosque, said: "Our loved ones brought us up, they cared for us, they shrouded us with dignity.

"When they pass away, if we are lowering them into a waterlogged graveyard where we can't even carry their coffins, it is a testimony to what we have achieved in our lifetimes."

Health and safety concerns

He continued: "It is muddy, there are no paths, people are slipping - the health and safety concerns are enormous.

"All I can say is that the council has a huge responsibility here."

Muslim burial practices dictate that a person must be buried within 24 hours of their death, meaning the community cannot wait for better weather.

"Depending on how that grave is dug, you can have a situation where the whole community is watching someone trying to get rid of the water and the water is just not going away," Mr Malik said.

Abdul Malik says the state of the graveyard is a health and safety risk

South Bristol Cemetery is the only council-owned site with a dedicated Muslim section.

Mr Malik said: "We believe in communal burial, all Bristol residents should be buried together. It is nice to have a graveyard that has all citizens of Bristol."

BCC plans to expand South Bristol Cemetery so it can continue to offer burial plots for the next 25 years.

It said its plans, which have been submitted for approval, contain "a robust set of ground water and ecological assessments".

'Lengthy discussions'

A council spokeswoman said: "Alongside this work we've been in lengthy discussions with the local Muslim community to agree improvements to the existing Muslim burial area.

"New drainage was installed last year to address some surface water issues at the site and we're continuing to work with the Muslim Burial Group to improve that section of the site.

"This work includes looking at additional works we could carry out to improve drainage, agree some landscaping options for the existing burial areas and to extend the burial site to provide additional plots."

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