21/02/08 - Police KO church rooftop protest
Wolverhampton Express and Star

A grieving man who went to put flowers on his wife's grave in Codsall on Valentine's Day claims he was shocked to find all the trinkets and mementoes he had placed there removed Bernard O'Mahoney, whose 26-year-old wife Emma was buried at St Nicholas' Church in December, 2004, says he thought the grave had been wrecked by vandals. His threat to mount a rooftop protest was stopped by police on Monday afternoon, but he has threatened to continue to protest until he can have his way.

Mr O'Mahoney said he wasn't the only one who has been shocked by the actions of the church. He said: "Everyone I have met who has had items removed has been devastated."

But church officials, who authorised the clean up, claim that Mr O'Mahoney had allowed his web-site to be used for intimidating messages.

Mr O'Mahoney's website contains his thoughts and others from supporters. He writes: "Everywhere I travel in the world I bring back a small pebble from a beach or somewhere equally significant to place at the base of her headstone. It's my way of sharing holidays with her that she has missed.

"I also placed a porcelain Bugs Bunny figure approximately six inches high on the headstone base, which my wife's mother, who herself has now died, had given her before her death."

"All these items were gone, leaving eight inch holes. To my horror I noticed a note had been slapped on my wife's headstone like some bloody parking ticket.

"This informed me that the church had removed the items, which had been there since December 2004, because they were now in breach of their rules.

"I rang the vicar and he refused to come out and telephoned the police.

"When they arrived I had been joined by four other people who were also clutching these notes."

Mr O'Mahoney has threatened to keep on replacing the items on a daily basis.

Gavin Drake, Director of Communications at Lichfield Diocese said: " We are not unfeeling people. We recognise that grief takes all sorts of paths, but taking the action he has and posting what can only be called intimidating statements on his website are unacceptable actions.

"Local clergy do not have the power to permit any memorial into their churchyard unless the proposed memorial complies with guidelines issued by the Diocesan Chancellor. Anybody who wishes to erect a memorial which falls out-side the diocesan guidelines must apply to the Chancellor for a Faculty. The church will assist a member of the public to prepare such an application regardless of whether or not it wishes to support or oppose it.

"To ensure Codsall Churchyard was in compliance with the regulations, the PCC placed a notice in a community magazine and erected temporary signs around the churchyard giving a month's notice that a clean-up operation would begin. As part of the clean-up, items which did not comply were removed to storage and notices placed on gravestones to advise next of kin how they could reclaim their possessions. The memorial which Mr O'Mahoney wishes to maintain is outside the diocesan guidelines."