Grieving relatives upset by thoughtless drivers at Rugby cemetery

When the Advertiser visited Croop Hill Cemetery, off Addison Road, tyre marks were clearly visible from cars which had gone onto the grass, showing a lack of regard for the graves.

Resident James Nock, of Bilton Road, visits the cemetery twice every day without fail – every morning to light a candle at his father’s grave and again at the end of the day to extinguish it. His dad William Arthur Nock died aged 77 on February 10.

But after witnessing a car driving near his father’s plot and seeing tyremarks all around the site, he called on Rugby Borough Council to act.

Mr Nock, 35, said: “I have complained several times about this issue but nothing has been done.

“I think they should ban cars from using it, or at least put some signs or ropes up to stop this

“Since my father died I’ve been suffering from severe depression and this is making things worse. It’s been playing on my mind and I need answers.”

The fresh controversy come just three months after grieving families complained to the council about graves being turfed over – in line with council policy.

People who had set up memorials or placed other cherished mementos at gravesides had not appreciated at their time of loss that the policy was in place and that they would be told to remove the items.

The cemetery was opened in 1914 and was originally owned by a parish council but is now run and maintained by the borough council.

A spokesman for Rugby Borough Council said this week it was taking action: “Croop Hill Cemetery opened in 1914 and was not designed for vehicle access.

“The paths at the cemetery can be used by hearses, but we encourage all visitors to park cars at the cemetery chapel and walk to the gravesides.

“We have been made aware of a number of visitors who have parked cars on the paths, and incidents where cars have been driven on lawned sections of the cemetery.

“While no graves have been driven on, we took the decision earlier this year to install kerbing on affected stretches of the paths.

“Work on installing the kerbing started on Tuesday and should be completed by the end of the week.”