Heartbroken dad 'outraged' at state of council cemetery where son, 22, is buried

30 August 2023 , 11:47

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Asmann Ulhaq was left 'outraged' over the debris in the soil at his son's cemetery (Image: Pete Stonier / Stoke Sentinel)

One grieving dad has blasted the council over the dire state of the cemetery where he spent £3,000 to bury his 22-year-old son.

Asmann Ulhaq, from Longton, has taken aim at the Stoke-on-Trent City Council over the appalling condition of the cemetery where his 22 year old son, Zain, rests. The young man tragically lost his battle with cancer earlier this year and was laid to rest in Fenton Cemetery, Stoke-on-Trent costing the dad £3,000.

Mr Ulhaq's was left furious about the soil used to fill the graves, claiming it contains broken clay and shards of glass. He compared it to "rubble from a landfill site". He said: "The quality of the soil is appalling. It's all rubble. It's landfill stuff. I have raised concerns with councillors before."

Graves at the cemetery in Stoke-on-Trent (Pete Stonier / Stoke Sentinel)

StokeLive reported, he continued, "I have told them that we pay £3,000 for the burial site and the condition of the soil is absolutely disgusting. We wouldn't even use that on our back gardens, never mind on a loved-one's grave. I'm not just saying this because of my son. It is actually disgusting and from what I have seen there it is totally unfair on families."

Describing the shocking state of the fresh graves, he said, "In some of the soil you can see glass bottles and brick. It's a mixture of metals in there. It's honestly disgusting. I said they should charge extra for good-quality soil." Paying tribute to his late son, Ulhaq said, "My son was a great lad. He was 22, he never had any issues. They need to provide better soil for every grave in this cemetery."

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Following his complaint, the city council, which operates the cemetery, has re-inspected the site. In response to the outcry, new council leader Jane Ashworth has stepped in to address the case.

She said: "“We completely understand how emotive this matter is. I’ve looked into the circumstances and want to give the resident our reassurances. The soil used to fill the graves is the same soil that is displaced to create them. The teams haven’t encountered any asbestos or anything of that nature, but if residents have examples of this then we will, of course, respond quickly and appropriately to deal with it properly.

"Contractors work sensitively when installing new burial chambers and the very last thing that we want is to cause distress to grieving families. All work is done as sensitively as possible. Our teams have inspected the work and site again in light of the concerns and if residents have any further queries I ask that they please take the matter up with our staff who will listen and support as much as possible.”."

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George Bunn