Family fined £200 after funeral overran by 14 seconds because of 'mourner with walking stick'

21 March 2019, 12:03

A local councillor has vowed to fight on the family's behalf and others have urged those responsible to be "more sensitive"

A grieving family were handed a whopping £200 fine after a funeral overran by a mere 14 seconds.

While the cremation service ended within the allocated time-slot, an infirm mourner with walking sticks was slow to leave the venue.

Grimsby Crematorium is run by North East Lincolnshire Council, who issue penalty fines for services that overrun.

The shock £200 fine is on top of the original £620 cost for a 40-minute slot at the crematorium, making the additional fine around an added third of the price.

Local councillor Keith Brookes was approached by the devastated family and has since vowed to fight the fine on their behalf.

The councillor explained: "It looks as if someone is holding a stopwatch, clicking as someone walks in the chapel and checks the last one to leave.

"I want to make sure we no longer have funerals that penalise families."

Councillor Keith Brookes went on to claim that the policy is "hitting people at their most vulnerable" after he unsuccessfully tried to find out how many grieving families have been handed huge fines.

Other councillors have called for those responsible to be "sensitive" when dishing out penalty fines.