Travellers invade the crematorium
Mourners are forced to drive past caravans and piles of rubbish on their way to funerals
GRIEVING families had to make their way past a group of foulmouthed travellers after they set up camp at a busy crematorium.
Four caravans blighted the car park surrounded by dumped washing machines, fridge-freezers and rubbish including used nappies.
One resident visiting his mother’s grave said the group shouted at him to ‘f*** off’ when he pleaded with them to move on out of respect for the dead.
Gail Hill, 44, was devastated when she and her family were forced to drive past the travellers as they took her mum Linda Hill, 68, on her final journey on Wednesday, after she died from bile duct cancer.
Many family members were unable to park near Howe Bridge Crematorium in Greater Manchester.
The NHS worker said: ‘It’s absolutely disgusting – so disrespectful. On one of the worst days of my life we had to drive past them and their washing machines and fridges which is not what you want to see.
‘Of all the places they chose to pitch up they had to appear at the entrance to a crematorium. It’s outrageous. It’s absolutely ludicrous that they parked there. We just ignored them as they sat there watching the hearse go past.
‘Thankfully the funeral went really well but it was always in the back of your mind
‘Shows a complete lack of sensitivity’
that they were there.’ Jonathan Coombes, 45, visited the site concerned about his mum Cindy’s grave at the adjoining cemetery and to plead with travellers to move on. He claims he was told: ‘We won’t wake them [the dead] all up – now f*** off.’
The apprenticeships tutor added: ‘I think they’ve crossed a line by setting up here. It’s supposed to be a place where people go to pay their respects.
‘My mum’s laid to rest here so I decided to go down and ask them nicely to leave because I was upset by it. Even if my mum wasn’t in there, it’s about paying respect to people. I didn’t raise my voice or swear, I just asked them to leave for the sake of people wanting to visit their loved ones.
‘They said, “We’ll make sure we won’t wake them all up,” and then swore at me. It’s no surprise people are fed up with them. I tried to appeal to them and said, “You wouldn’t like it if we camped up on your parents’ graveyard. You would go mad. Just show a bit of respect”.’
Mr Coombes said he had seen the travellers – who arrived on Tuesday – throwing rubbish including used nappies into nearby bushes. He added: ‘It’s a gorgeous cemetery – really well kept. I worry about the mess they will leave behind.’
Some locals suggested the travellers’ presence could breach the Cremation Act 1902 which states that there should be a distance of at least 200 yards between a crematorium and a ‘dwelling’.
Leigh MP Jo Platt said: ‘It shows a real lack of sensitivity and respect for this current group of travellers to make a new camp at Howe Bridge crematorium.
‘People should be able to grieve and reflect on lost loved ones without the distraction of families camped on the car park.’
The site is a familiar location to fans of Coronation Street.
It has been the scene of some of the soap’s most tear-jerking farewells including the funeral of Hayley Cropper, played by Julie Hesmondhalgh, in 2014.
After being threatened with bailiffs, the group finally left the site yesterday and a clean-up operation was carried out to prepare the site for funerals today.
The car park is owned by Wigan Council, which is planning to put a barrier at the entrance, while the crematorium is run by Westerleigh Group.
A spokesman for the crematorium said: ‘We think it’s regrettable and we don’t think it shows respect to grieving families.’