Mid and East Antrim Borough Council to 'review' policies on cemeteries

It comes after concerns were raised over a regulation requiring the removal of festive tributes and wreaths from graves in cemeteries managed by the local authority.

A notice posted in January at Islandmagee Cemetery reminded visitors to remove all Christmas tributes by the end of the month.

“If such items have not been cleared by this time, council staff will be instructed to remove all such items from the cemetery graves,” the notice read.

The reminder sparked confusion among local residents, with many taking to social media to voice their thoughts on the issue.

Several stated they were unaware of the policy and queried whether the rules had recently changed, while others suggested the removal of tributes by council staff was ‘unfair’ and ‘upsetting’ for the families of the deceased.

Larne Lough Alliance Party Councillor, Danny Donnelly stated that he had been contacted by a number of residents over the regulation. “This rule has been in place since at least 2017; I have discussed it with officers after seeing posts on Facebook and hearing from a few people unhappy with this situation,” he said.