I was wondering if you can explain to me the current discriminatory fees that your council currently operate.

My Mum was a resident of the Borough from 1968 until 1999, during that time I was born in the Borough, schooled until 13 in the Borough and lived in the Borough until I joined the Army aged 20.

My Father passed away in 1983 and Mum purchased a joint plot in the Sutton and Merton Cemetery in Garth Road, in the knowledge that one day she would need it. The plot being close to my Grandparents plot.

Mum moved away from Merton in December 1999 and moved to North Yorkshire to be near myself and my wife.

She had a stroke and left paralysed in 2004 and we were forced to sell her home to pay for her care. She unfortunately passed away last week, aged 68.

This week, as I'm sure you can imagine has been very emotional, although not totally unexpected it still came as a shock.

This, however, not as much as a shock as finding out the fees that your council charge for burials.

I was initially informed that as Mum owned the plot that it would cost £1254.00 to have the grave re-opened.

I was surprised at this and thought that perhaps I had made the wrong career choice, I should have become a grave digger, as I presume that most of the fee would be labour costs!!! Surely a council would not look to overtly profit from peoples emotional misfortune?

I was then informed that actually the fee to re-open the grave would be £2195.00. Mum was being discriminated against because she had not been a Council resident for 40 years.

I say Mum is being discriminated against, actually it is myself that is being discriminated against as I am having to pay the fee. Mum had no savings / possessions left as they had been used paying for her care.

How come twice the price, certainly twice the shock? Are the overpaid gravediggers on double time? Special gold-plated shovels for out of towers? More profit for the council? I am truly lost for words.

Mum bought the plot for my Dad (and ultimately her) out of necessity, rather than choice. She chose for her husband to be buried in the Borough, because it was where they had lived, he was brought up and where their son was raised.

She did not chose it for the lovely vistas over Garth Road tip or the famed sunsets over the Beverley pub (Morden Brook as is now). She did not expect to have been discriminated against when the time came for her to be buried there herself.

Can you tell me when this two-tiered pricing structure came into force?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Chris Diaper, via email

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