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Don’t cut the grass around your mother’s grave – you might hurt someone

Banned Sometimes writing for this blog is very depressing.

Derek Evans is a 67 year old former soldier. His mother is buried in a a graveyard in Cannock in Staffordshire. He mowed the grass there to keep it nice and tidy. Not just the spot around his mother's grave – once he started he thought he'd carry on and do the lot.

The jobsworths at the Council have told him that as he was without public liability insurance he was banned from carrying on – despite the fact, as Mr Evans points out in stark terms, "the only people I was mowing near are six feet under."

One of our main tasks at BBW is pointing out that the man in the street is usually right and the self-appointed political "elite" is wrong. That's true here in spades. There's just no common sense to decisions like this: they're so stupid you have to be an "expert" to reach them. Motivated by love and kindness, Mr Evans was improving the environment of an area that was and is important to him, at zero cost to the taxpayer. The Big Society, indeed.

By Alex
Deane

**UPDATE** An Australian reader points out that a very similar debate took place in Queensland recently – and was resolved in the opposite direction with typical good Aussie sense Hat tip CQ

Posted on August 19, 2010 by Alex Deane Posted in Home
  • startledcod

    Or maybe the w**ker from Cannock Council could have suggested that the Mr Evans be covered by the Council’s insurance; presumably after undertaking some fatuous Elf and Safe Tea course.
    Or maybe the w**ker from Cannock Council could have written to the local newspaper thanking Mr Evans for his selfless work.
    But no,working for a Council means you are in charge.

  • Penn Shott

    And if the w**kers at the council had done the job that they are paid by council taxpayers to do in the first place, the story would not have come into existence.
    No doubt they’ve got two over-paid blokes sitting in a CCTV Smart car sitting on double yellows, enjoying tea and buns, observing the area at this very moment, just to make sure that he’s not up to no good with the mower and shears again.
    Go on, you lazy f**kers, get out of the car and go and cut the grass yourselves – after you’ve apologised to this big-hearted, community spirited ex-soldier.
    Good on you Cannock Council officers – protecting us from such dangerous people.
    You w**kers.

  • http://ampers.wordpress.com Andrew Ampers Taylor

    Piano wire has several extremely good uses.

  • BillyBloggs

    The Council jobsworths would be doing us all a favour if they removed themselves from the gene pool, or found some common sense before it is too late…. wait a minute it is too late!

  • Redacted

    Spring flowers blooming,
    Officer has no window.
    look, a butterfly!

  • http://faustiesblog.blogspot.com FaustiesBlog

    This recession will be a godsend, in that government will have to shed loads of bureaucrats. It is they who delight in making our lives more difficult (make-work) because it justifies their existence.

  • Derek Evans

    I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone in supporting me with their comments against the council for what they did in stopping me from tending my Mothers grave and others who are not able to tend their loved ones graves. I would like to say thankyou to Zurich Insurance who insured me free of charge for 2 million of cover and also the National and Local Press the Chase Post and express & Star and all supporters from around the world and the uk. People Power wins again.
    Your Friend always
    Derek

  • Richard Craven

    Dear Mr Evans
    Please, for everyone’s sake, just ignore those stupid useless idiots whose wages you are being forced to pay. Please make it your business to disobey the pointless directives of the town hall jobsworths. Please carry on mowing the graveyard.

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