Mourners told to PAY to visit graves as cemetery introduces ‘VIP’ pass

Mourners at a Staffordshire cemetery have been told they must pay for ‘VIP’ passes to visit their loved ones’ graves outside office hours.

The Garden of Remembrance in Longton is introducing the controversial scheme from January 1, requiring visitors to purchase passes for access beyond standard opening times.

The new system will restrict free access to weekdays between 9am and 3pm, affecting working families who struggle to visit during these hours.

Visitors will need to pay a one-off fee of £5 for a grave pass or £10 for rose garden access to visit until 9pm each night.

The cemetery management has faced criticism for implementing the charges without directly notifying affected families.

Craig Bennett, 42, from Blurton, has been initially denied passes to visit his parents’ graves due to a technicality over plot ownership.

Bennett, who owns CB Light Haulage, works full-time from 7am until 5pm daily, making it impossible to visit during standard hours.

“Both of my parents have passed away and nobody owns the plot now and you’re basically saying all their family can’t go because we all work,” he said.

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His mother, who died in 2020, had purchased plots for herself and his father, but because she was the original owner, the family was initially told they were ineligible for passes.

“The way people are being treated is disgusting. From January 1 I won’t be able to see my parents unless I have a day off from work,” Bennett added.

The new system requires a one-off payment of £5 for a grave pass, allowing access to the cemetery until 9pm each evening.

Those wishing to visit the rose garden outside office hours will need to pay £10 for access.

Anyone without a pass will be restricted to visiting during office hours, between 9am and 3pm Monday to Friday.

The cemetery has displayed the new rules via a poster on their building, rather than contacting families directly.

Bennett said: “I don’t mind paying the £5 because it keeps the site secure. I haven’t got a problem with paying the £5, it’s the fact anyone who has a family member who owned the plot and is now buried there won’t be able to go outside those hours.”

Cemetery owner Jason Taft defended the new system, stating they could not distribute keys to all 1,300 graves at the site.

Taft revealed he has invested £8,000 in increased security measures at the Garden of Remembrance.

He has already distributed 90 free passes to his most vulnerable customers.

“We are not locking people out and this gives them access to the cemetery until 9pm when we would normally be closed,” Taft said.

“People can know it’s safe when they’re visiting and they’ll be safe from undesirables breaking in now.”

Following media intervention, Taft said Bennett and his siblings would be granted passes, though these had not yet been received.