Council chucked family's grave flowers in skip

Jan 12 2009 By Katie Campling

"We have to strike a balance of respecting the family’s memories in paying tribute to loved ones and keeping the grounds tidy by removing old ones."

But Mrs Pitchfork says it is not the council’s place to remove tributes from memorials.

She travels from her home in Halifax to visit her husband’s memorial three times a week and takes good care of it.

She said: "You pay a lot of money for the memorials and most people take good care of them. I have never known them remove things before.

"It’s very frustrating. It keeps his memory alive, going and placing flowers there."

Mr Pitchfork, who was a magistrate for 12 years in Huddersfield, died in the Royal Infirmary on January 22 last year after suddenly falling ill suddenly with a blood infection.

Holmfirth-born Mr Pitchfork, who was 59, was also a former firefighter and ambulance officer, as well as a keen guitarist, motorcyclist and scuba diver.

The grandfather-of-three lived with his wife in Dalton and then Sowood.

After his death Mrs Pitchfork moved to Halifax.