Backlash prompts Northamptonshire town council to hold public meeting after family told to remove decor from seven-year-old's grave

Brackley Town Council (BTC) issued a letter in February giving the Sadler family one month’s notice to remove all ornaments they had placed on their daughter Lottie’s grave at the Halse Road Cemetery. A petition started by the family to get the council to reverse its decision and apologise for its conduct has amassed more than 4,000 signatures in the last three weeks.

Now, the town council has announced that it will hold a public meeting on Thursday March 13, to hear from residents and inform cemetery regulations going forward. It has stated that people will have the opportunity to make comments either in favour of relaxing or amending cemetery regulations or supporting keeping them as they are.

The online petition, created on February 11, read: “Lottie’s grave, cherished by her family, is more than just a final resting place; it is a space to find peace, comfort and to celebrate Lottie’s memory in their own special way. The grave decorations are an expression of their love and grief.

“Brackley Council has threatened to shatter this sanctuary. We find this directive deeply inhumane and insensitive, punishing a grieving family who are merely trying to cope with their loss.”

In the council’s original letter to the family, it claimed that it had received complaints from visitors regarding the decorations, who felt that it was “disturbing the peace of the cemetery”.

The grave was adorned with flowers, cuddly toys, lights and trinkets in memory of Lottie. The council claimed that, as the young girl’s grave was located in the adult section, the family should have known that they would not be allowed to decorate the plot.

Soon after the issue came to light, BTC issued a statement saying that it “understands the sensitive nature of cemetery regulations and the emotional attachment individuals feel towards memorialising their loved ones”.

It added that its regulations could sometimes be “difficult” and that it would review the specific case that has prompted the concerns and its overall policy to ensure it strikes the right balance between “respecting individual memorials and maintaining a dignified space for all”.

While it stated that no policy decisions would be made at the public meeting, all comments will feed into a review of the cemetery regulations. Any changes must be approved by BTC’s full council before they are implemented.

Residents are being invited to attend the public meeting next Thursday at 6.30pm in Egerton Hall. Comments on the graves procedure may also be submitted to BTC via email and post, or by dropping them into the office beforehand.