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MARIA Maloney lays more floral tributes at the site where Bernadette was killed.
‘Heartless and cruel’
Nick Towle2/11/2006
A MOTHER has hit out at the council for removing roadside tributes to her late daughter.
Maria Maloney, whose daughter Bernadette died in a horrific road crash in Burnage last year, labelled the council 'heartless' for removing the floral tributes just two weeks before the anniversary of her death.
A defiant Ms Maloney, who runs the Farmers Arms pub in Burnage, has since returned to the memorial site at the junction of Errwood Road and Crossley Road to lay more candles and floral tributes, which she bought with her own money.
She said council workers had turned up in the early hours of Tuesday morning to remove the original ones.
Ms Maloney said: "I'm going to put everything back that was there before. They've got a cheek to do this so close to the anniversary of my daughter's death. We haven't even had the inquest yet - it's heartless.
"They didn't give us any warning."
Bernadette, who was 28, died on November 15 last year, three days after suffering horrific injuries in a two-vehicle collision on Errwood Road. Two others, Laura Finn from Levenshulme and Bernadette's friend David Forrest, from Burnage, also died.
Dozens of friends and family regularly gather at the site to hold candlelit vigils.
Many people still visit the memorial to remember the popular young woman who was planning to become a midwife.
Hours after the council removed the items, friends of Bernadette arrived at the site to lay flowers, light candles and tie balloons to trees. A meeting and demonstration was organised at Burnage Community Centre, with up to 150 relatives and friends expected to attend.
A petition of 200 names opposing the removal of tributes has also been collected.
Every tribute - including pictures of Bernadette, that had been placed on a tree - has now been removed except a solitary plaque.
Last year the council stipulated that roadside memorials should be taken down after 30 days for fear they would become a distraction to motorists.
But Maria said: "If anything, the memorial site makes drivers slow down because they are reminded of the terrible accident that occurred there."
Angela McCormack, Maria's friend, said: "It's very insensitive."
Family friend Graham Dean, 38, said: "I think it's pretty disgusting. People still go there to light candles and it slows the traffic down."
Sean Peters, another family friend, said: "We're fuming. We go down there regularly to say prayers."
A council spokeswoman said: "For practical and safety reasons, roadside locations are unsuitable for permanent memorials, although temporary roadside tributes may be put in place for as long as 30 days."
She added: "We have no wish to increase relatives' suffering, but rather to help them find solace through an appropriate commemoration."
Most recent 2 of 3 user comments
Your readers would benefit from the knowledge there is an alternative to displaying a roadside memorial on public roads or right of ways. The National Memorial Registry (www.NationalMemorialRegistry.com) is Internet based and offers free of any charge, the opportunity for any individual to dedicate a memorial location to a loved one. With the help of our extensive database of mapping software, a person can dedicate a specific address, site, or location in honor of, or to validate, the life of an individual that has an influence on their lives. Every memorial dedication is displayed on our maps for the world to view.
It is a well known fact that many individuals need to experience the grieving process through the display of a roadside memorial. All too often, local jurisdictions are regulating this practice. Some are limiting the time a memorial can be displayed, others are banning them. Some jurisdictions have regulations regarding the placement of memorials but local enforcement is not done, often by choice to help the grieving family. This same website has a database of information on many of the states, cities, and countries regarding their current and past position, and if available, current legislation regarding the placement of roadside memorials.
The National Memorial Registry is a source for: - Free online memorial dedications - Display of memorials on our world wide maps - State regulations and news regarding public display of memorials
Please let your future readers know about this alternative. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Kindest regards,
3/11/2006 at 22:40
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