ONLINE readers had a lot to say about our front page story yesterday about widow, Enid Mort who was refused permission for a shiny black headstone in memory of her husband in the graveyard of St Anne’s Church, Turton. Here are a few of their comments:

Am I being harsh in saying the person in the ground won’t care?

LocalAntMan

Still wondering what the reason behind the ban in 2016 was? The shiny stones are easier to clean so in the long run the graveyard would look better..... Without a good reason i think they should be allowed.

Prawncracker

What does she think working for Bradshaw Gass and Hope and the Hospital have to do with being allowed to have a shiny headstone? If they are not allowed any more then they are not allowed any more. If you change a rule for one then everybody will want the privilege of changing the rule.

fisherman1959

The vicar should have explained that the rules changed in 2016 and he isn’t able to give permission for such a headstone and that the lady would need to contact a higher authority. I can understand the lady’s frustration and although I am not religious at all, I also feel for the vicar with this bad press because he’s only doing what he’s told.

Arndale Budgie

I would be interested to hear why the church decided that ‘polished’ headstones became unacceptable in 2016 when they had been OK prior to that.

Lapdog

It was just part of a general clamp-down on inappropriate memorials. Also banned are fairy lights, cuddly toys, gaudy decorations. They have started to apply a rule, which says that all headstones and memorials must be made from stone appropriate to the church and without fancy finishes. For most local churches, this will be sandstone. Anyone who wants a public memorial, should be prepared to accept a few simple rules which ensure that the dignity of the graveyard is maintained.

john H2o

Using “fairy lights & gaudy decorations” to justify banning a head stone that will look cleaner for much longer and not need cleaning, at not insignificant costs, every 10 years or so is really stupid.

Notlob Rules

The rules are there for everyone and not simply to be broken by someone who thinks she’s above the rules.

No:1

The vicar isn’t being awkward, he is simply applying two year old rules. The family have been advised which road to go down if they want to be considered an exception.

Winston Shaw