Worksop widower's shock over funeral delay charge

Cindy Playfoot said the charge should not have been passed on and the row had affected the whole family

A grieving widower says he is dismayed after being charged £160 for delays at his wife's funeral.

Violet Blades was buried at Hannah Park Cemetery in Worksop two weeks ago but Frank said he got the bill days after.

Clive Hopkinson Funeral Directors said the charge was due to Mr Blades visiting other graves and council staff staying over contracted hours.

Bassetlaw District Council denied this and insisted the bill was because the cortege arrived 45 minutes late.

Mr Blades said there was no mention of time limits either before or after the service.

Frank Blades said initially he did not dispute the charge as money was the last thing on his mind

When the £6,200 bill arrived, it had an "Additional Cemetery Fee" attached.

Mr Blades said : "I just accepted it. I just tried to forget it. It is just other people when I have told them, they have gone 'you are joking'.

"I've just ignored it, what is money at the moment? I am saying this because it might happen to other people."

Daughter Cindy Playfoot said it was "affecting the entire family".

The council denied the charge was over extra time Frank Blades spent in the cemetery

A spokesperson for the funeral directors said: "We incurred a charge of £160 from Bassetlaw District Council due to their gravediggers working beyond their contracted hours when our client wished to visit other family graves following the funeral.

"As with any third-party fee that we pay on behalf of our clients this was included in our final invoice. Our funeral director remained with our client until he was ready to return home, for which we did not charge."

Liz Prime, head of neighbourhoods at Bassetlaw District Council, said she was surprised the charge had been passed on.

"The council has certainly not penalised Mr Blades for spending additional time at his wife's graveside to mourn her loss.

"As a burial authority it is important that we ensure the privacy of every funeral and that no two funerals take place at the same time. The onus is on the respective funeral director to ensure that each ceremony runs smoothly and on schedule," she said.