Memorial’s permit is held up over kerbing

Family fear dad’s plot targeted for adornments

A grieving Cowie woman has hit out at Stirling Council after being ordered to make changes to her father’s grave.

Terry McMeel passed away in June last year at the age of just 46 after battling lung cancer.

Mr McMeel was laid to rest at Bannockburn Cemetery where his distraught family erected a £2500 granite memorial featuring references to his favourite football team, Celtic, and lyrics from The Seekers’ song ‘I’ll Never Find Another You’. His wife has purchased the adjoining plot.

However, council officials said the five–foot tall memorial had been erected without permission and are now withholding consent pending alterations to kerbing around the grave.

Their stance has angered Mr McMeel’s daughter, Erin (18) who believes the memorial has been singled out for restrictions because of the Celtic references. These are the club badge and the words ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone.’

The family were dealt a double heartache when Erin’s grandmother, Ellen McGovern (74), died in December following an illness.

Erin told the Observer: “We received a letter from the council the day that my nana passed away saying that the masonry company had not obtained a permit for my dad’s headstone. My mum was advised that the stone would be removed.

“She asked if they could wait till after Christmas and New Year as we had enough to deal with at the time.”

However, as the family were fearing the stone would be pulled down and taken away, authorisation for it was granted on condition kerbing around the grave was altered.

Erin added: “It’s absolutely appalling