Mum 'absolutely heartbroken' after council demands £600 memorial for baby be removed because it breaks strict rules

East Lincolnshire Council has warned that the memorial risks deteriorating because of the material it is made from and must therefore be removed.

"I spoke to the council because I wanted a memorial garden for Callum," Thompson told her local news outlet.

"Before I went ahead with it I rang them and told them it was made out of acrylic resin, and the man on the phone said: 'Normally it's stone, but leave it with me, I'll check and get back to you'.

"A couple of days later he got back to me and said I can have it as long as I can fit it myself, so I went ahead and had it fitted.

"I've always wanted him to have a really nice, bright garden and have somewhere to go and sit with him."

Callum died of pneumonia at the age of just five months in 2010.

He died despite his mother's best efforts to resuscitate him at home.

The mum told Grimsby Live that the providers of the new memorial had been "absolutely fantastic" and they had designed a headstone that was "made absolutely to perfection".

The memorial was in place for nearly a year before the council intervened, according to Thompson.

"My heart went in my mouth and I just started crying. I was absolutely heartbroken," she said.

"We paid for that plot through the council - it says in black and white that we are the landowner, that is our grave - so we should be able to do whatever we like as long as it's safe.

"The council can't dictate to us how we dress it, it's acrylic resin and it lasts years. It's not doing any harm.

"I'm trying to fight in all ways to keep it where it is, and I'm not going to back down. People don't have the money these days to pay £3,000 for a headstone."

The council's letter said that the memorial must be removed from the cemetery no later than September 30.

A North East Lincolnshire Council spokesman said: "Our staff are always willing to help families with any enquiries about cemetery regulations and how they apply to a loved one's grave.

"The regulations have been in place for many years and it's important that we treat all grave owners equally when dealing with such sensitive matters.

"All memorials must be installed by a registered monumental mason and comply with British Standards. This memorial is made of plastic, which quickly deteriorates and becomes brittle. In the past, we've found these memorials are easily damaged and when they break, they are very sharp.

"An application needs to be submitted and permission given in writing before a memorial can be installed. They also need to be insured.

"It can be upsetting when we ask someone to change a loved one's grave and we have invited the family to speak with us to discuss this sensitive matter further."