A GRIEVING woman has vented her frustration at the council after the removal of decorative items adorning her mother's gravesite.

A GRIEVING woman has vented her frustration at the council after the removal of decorative items adorning her mother's gravesite.

Tracey Colley, 39, of Windsor Road, refused to get rid of the ornamental tribute to her mother, Brenda, after officials enforced health and safety practices at Ipswich Cemetery - so it was replaced by a rough patch of turf.

Ms Colley knew that the small gravel-filled fence around her mother's grave would be taken down but wasn't prepared for what she saw.

Her mother's birthday was on Tuesday and Ms Colley laid flowers at the headstone as she does every week.

She said: “Why, after all this time has my mum got to go without the things I've bought her?

“It's heartbreaking to see that she has mud and dirt patches in front and beside her headstone. It looks terrible.”

The council asked people who have placed fences and chippings on the graves of loved ones to remove them and ensure that the lawn cemetery can be properly maintained.

Ms Colley, who has been tending her mother's grave for the last 11 years, said: “I feel now like she doesn't belong to me.

“I would love my mum to have her fence back. I love her and just want to look after her grave like I have for the past 11 years.”

A spokesman for Ipswich Borough Council said: “Due to the time of year it will take some time for the turf to blend in to the existing area and we will be monitoring it to ensure it occurs.”

Is it right to restrict tributes at the cemetery? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk