Colchester Cemetery ornaments to be banned

Ornaments must be removed from a cemetery in Essex so funerals can be conducted with dignity, a borough council has said.

Wind chimes and other adornments left on trees and in open spaces at the council cemetery in Colchester must go to allow mourners to "grieve in peace".

Toys, lights and plastic flowers are left by mourners on benches and graves.

Colchester Borough Council said any ornaments breaching the rules would be removed after 1 March.

The council's protective services manager, Colin Daines said of the wind chimes: "They just intrude at a time when people are at their most sensitive.

"There are 100s in one area of the cemetery; certainly up to 100 on one tree."

'Making a fuss'

Joan Shadbolt, who was placing flowers on the grave of her great-niece just beneath some wind chimes, said: "I don't think they should take them down at all. I quite like the noise."

Jaimie Reilly who was visiting a friend's grave nearby said: "They are not bothering anyone are they?

"I don't see why people are making a fuss over some wind chimes."

The council said it would continue to respect an individual's right to express their grief within the boundaries of the grave space.

It said however the removal of ornaments from open spaces, in particular trees, was necessary to allow funeral services to be conducted with dignity and allow mourners to grieve in peace.