Cancer sufferer forced to pay to be buried with baby son

Oct 12 2008 By Gayle Ritchie

A CANCER sufferer who wants to be buried with his baby son has been told he must pay extra to buy his own grave.

Bill Crawford was told to pay £114 on top of the standard £228 to reserve space he has already bought in Prestonpans Cemetery, East Lothian.

Bill, 61, bought a lair for son Lewis, who died aged 22 months in 1978 of a heart attack.

It had space for himself and wife Catherine, 61, to be buried with their son.

The retired security worker decided to plan his own funeral after being told he had bowel cancer.

But the fee rose to £342 because they had moved out of East Lothian to Bonnyrigg in Midlothian.

Bill said: "We always intended to be buried by our son. The stone is there, waiting for our names. It's ludicrous to pay more for a lair we already own."

East Lothian Council said: "We charge nonresidents an extra 50 per cent to be buried here as they have not contributed to council tax."

But not all councils do this. Neighbouring Midlothian Council said: "We do not levy extra burial charges on non-residents."