Beer and bikinis turn cemetery into 'fairground'

Bikini-clad women and lager-drinking men have topped complaints about a graveyard dubbed a "tacky fairground".

Colchester Council has been forced to introduce strict regulations after complaints about the town's cemetery. Hundreds of complaints were made in a survey of people who owned space at the cemetery.

Among the most shocking examples were reports of women wearing bikinis, men drinking lager and children playing football between the headstones. Many people were also appalled to see some of the graves adorned with tacky shrines, solar lights and windchimes hanging from the trees.



Councillor Tim Young said: "I was shocked at the behaviour of some people in an environment which should be a place of respect, dignity and tranquility. It was looking more like a fairground than a graveyard."

The long list of complaints also included littering, loud swearing and cars being driven onto the grass near the grave spaces. Colchester Borough Council have now introduced new rules to make sure this anti-social behaviour is stopped.

They have given visitors a five-month deadline to remove all streamers, ribbons, windchimes and lights from the graves.