Community leaders have told of their anger over flooded graves at a Bristol cemetery. And on more than one occasion, the body of the deceased has fallen out of the coffin after those carrying it slipped and fell.
Farooq Siddique, chair of the Muslim Burial Working Group committee said there are a number of concerns about the Muslim section at Bedminster Down Cemetery on Bridgwater Road. As one of the only council-owned Bristol facilities with a dedicated Muslim burial community, for years the site has been waterlogged with surface rainwater due to its position at the bottom of the hill.
Mr Siddique said the Muslim community has been 'suffering in silence for decades' and has been asking Bristol City Council to come up with a viable solution. He said the winter months are the most problematic and claims visitors to the site often slip and fall. He recalled on two occasions the body of the deceased having fallen out of the coffin while being carried due to the slippery surface. “This is horrifying to even contemplate. It is devastating to witness. For the families, it is traumatising,” he added.
