BEREAVED families are demanding answers after sentimental items were removed from graves in an East Yorkshire graveyard.
Families whose loved ones are buried St Martin’s Churchyard in Hayton, near Pocklington, say they have been ‘left heartbroken’ after sentimental items were removed from loved ones’ graves – with some found broken and discarded in a churchyard bin.
The church has apologised for the ‘hurt caused’ stating that they were seeking to apply the Churchyard Regulations, but admitted that the process 'should have been communicated and carried out more compassionately'.
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The removals took place at the end of July following the introduction of updated Diocese of York churchyard regulations, which restrict what can be placed on graves.
Natalie Beard, whose mother was buried at the churchyard two years ago, said she was not notified before the items disappeared.
She said: "I received no letter, no email and no warning at all. Sentimental belongings have disappeared from my mum’s grave and I still don’t know where they are.
“Other families have found belongings from graves broken and amongst items discarded in a bin. Seeing photographs like that is absolutely devastating."
Photographs taken at the churchyard show flowers, memorial ornaments, flower containers and crosses among the items removed.
Items from the bin spread out on the ground
(Image: Provided)
One woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, said she found items, including sentimental doves placed by her mother at her father’s memorial, in a churchyard bin – which she emptied and laid out, so other families could recover their items.
Some belongings were later made available for collection in the church porch, but families say a number remain unaccounted for.
Natalie said none of her mother’s items were among those put out for collection.
Another family said they were not directly notified about the clearance and only learned of new churchyard rules through a screenshot sent by someone else.
The notice from the Diocese of York stated that certain prohibited items "will be removed."
Natalie's mum's grave now
(Image: Provided)
Natalie said: "My mum’s belongings were there for two years. Now they’re gone and nobody has been able to tell me where they are. I don’t want an argument about regulations.
"I want an honest explanation of what happened to people’s belongings and, most importantly to me, I want to know what happened to my mum’s things."
The Parochial Church Council (PCC) who are responsible for maintaining St Martin’s Churchyard said that they were enforcing the Churchyard Regulation, which were recently updated by the Church of England to ensure consistency across dioceses.
They added that many of the removed items were already restricted under previous rules, but apologised for the hurt caused in their disappearance from the graves.
Some of the items removed from graves were left inside the church
(Image: Provided)
A spokesperson for The Pocklington Group of Churches said: "Pocklington Group of Churches is deeply sorry for the distress caused to families by the recent removal of items from graves at St Martin’s Churchyard, Hayton.
"We recognise that this was not handled with the care and sensitivity families should have received, and we apologise for the hurt caused.
"Although the church was seeking to apply the Churchyard Regulations, families were not given sufficiently clear information or a reasonable opportunity to retrieve their belongings.
"We accept that the process should have been communicated and carried out more compassionately."
They added that the Priest-in-Charge and Archdeacon are now reviewing the events.