TOWN councillors in Watchet have defended a decision to order a family to undo decorative work on a burial plot in Watchet Cemetery, at St Decuman’s Church, despite nearly 1,000 people signing a petition calling for it to be allowed to remain.

Lifelong Watchet resident Ronald Perkins, who worked in the town’s now-closed paper mill, and his wife Julia died a month apart last year and were buried in the same plot in the Brendon Road Cemetery owned by the town council.

Earlier this year their son and daughter-in-law Martin and Tracey Perkins, of Flowerdale Road, Watchet, commissioned rubber kerbing with a decorative loose slate infill to give the grave a distinctive look.

But they fell foul of town council cemetery regulations which prohibited any work without a permit granted by councillors.

The Watchet grave of Ron and Julia Perkins which is at the centre of a row with the town council.
The Watchet grave of Ron and Julia Perkins which is at the centre of a row with the town council. (George Ody)

Now, the family has been given until next week to restore the grave to a lawned plot or the council will do the work and bill them for it.

Tracey Perkins told the Free Press: “We feel victimised, as if they have it in for us now.

“Everything we have said we would do, they have said take it down.

“We did not realise we had breached anything or had to ask permission.

“Everybody who has signed the petition has said it is beautiful and they would like something like it.

“Some of the graves up there are so untidy and unkept. Ron lived for his garden, he loved it, and we thought this would be nice for him.”

Mrs Perkins said there were possibly 50 other graves which were in breach of the cemetery regulations, many of them with artificial flowers instead of fresh blooms.

Ron and Julia Perkins were buried together in Watchet after dying a month apart in 2022.
Ron and Julia Perkins were buried together in Watchet after dying a month apart in 2022. (George Ody)

She said: “I want to know if everybody else who has broken the regulations has been given 14 days to remove their stuff.

“Are they going to see all the other people who have breached the regulations and deal with them?”

Town clerk Sarah Reed told the Free Press cemetery rules did not allow anything on a burial plot other than a memorial vase with fresh flowers at the base of the headstone.

She said it was understandable’ and ‘natural’ that the Perkins family was upset upset over the council’s decision.

However, Ms Reed said: “The family were advised by a town councillor to contact the council office for further information on what was permitted, and they proceeded without doing this, and without permission or authorisation.

“The council sought advice to establish a suitable way forward, recognising that this is a very emotive and sensitive situation for the family involved.”

Mrs Reed said councillors decided in the circumstances to allow up to six months for everything to be removed, after which the grave would be turfed at no cost to the family, and to offer the Perkins’ a tree to be planted in the memorial garden free of charge.

She said the rules and procedures were in place to ensure the council and public were covered if an accident or injury should happen within the cemetery.

Mrs Reed said it was unfortunate that some people had commented on social media in support of the family without knowing all the relevant facts.

She said the petition and information about other breaches of regulations would be considered by councillors at a future meeting.