A disgruntled widower decides to continue laying flowers on his wife’s memorial bench despite being told he can only do so twice a year.

Peter Lake, 93, planted daffodils in honor of his wife, Sheila, who died in May.

He later noted they were fired by maintenance workers who apologized but made it clear they were only doing their duties.

Family and friends can only lay floral tributes on their loved ones’ benches twice a year, according to Tenterden Town Council in Kent.

 

Following public outcry over a previous policy of only paying one tribute every year, the council softened its stance in December.

 

Many people are ‘uncomfortable’ sitting on a seat with flowers tied to it, according to the council, and floral tributes are frequently left to wither and perish.

 

Mr. Lake told Kent Online that he intends to continue breaking the law and that on Mother’s Day, he planned to leave flowers on the bench beside a placard stating that the municipality would remove the homage.

 

Mr. Lake added, “That will make people aware of what the council is doing and get people discussing.”

 

He questioned why the city council couldn’t adopt a policy of simply removing dead flowers.

 

Chris Patterson, 63, whose spouse Colin died in 2017 at the age of 66 from a brain aneurysm, promised to fight the regulation last month, calling it “heavy-handed.”

 

Many mourners believed they owned the memorial benches after paying hundreds of pounds for them, but they were later informed that they were town council property.

“First and foremost, we fully recognize that laying flowers on memorial benches is a highly sensitive matter, which is why we reassessed our earlier decision,” a spokesman for Tenterden Town Council stated.

 

‘We have agreed that flowers can be placed on benches twice a year, on the anniversary of a loved one’s birth and death, and we have been encouraged by the positive feedback we have received from local residents who support our policy.’

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