A mum whose four young sons were murdered by their own dad has been left "devastated" after finding their memorial garden "trashed".
Sam Tolley's four boys - Joshua, seven, Thomas, six, Callum, five, and Daniel, three - were murdered by their father back in 2003. Keith Young forced his wife to listen on the phone as he killed them before taking his own life.
A memorial garden was set up in memory of the children at Handley Hill Primary School, in Winsford, Cheshire, where they were pupils, Cheshire Live reports. But when Sam turned up at her children's memorial this week, she was shocked to find that housing developer Linden Homes had destroyed the garden.
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In a Facebook post, she said: "My boys' memorial garden. What do I do or who do I go and see? Totally heartbroken. How can they do this and get away with it? No warning to tell me, I turn up and looks like this. I was told the garden under no circumstances would be touched, devastated isn't the word.”
The school was closed by Cheshire County Council back in 2009 and property developers Linden Homes were then given permission to build houses on the school's site years later. However, one key condition of the planning approval was that the developers had to keep the memorial garden as part of the new development.
It had been agreed that the developers would meet up with Sam to discuss plans of how the new memorial garden would look when it was completed as it was a condition of planning approval that the memorial garden would be retained, but this has not happened. Work to clear up vegetation from the site and prepare the ground for the new garden has started, but there was no consultation between all parties that the work was to begin.
Linden Homes says there had been some confusion regarding the start of the work due to a changeover of personnel on the site and that the garden was to be kept “in situ” until the revised plans were agreed on by all parties.
A spokesperson for Vistry Group which incorporates Linden Homes said: “A new memorial garden is being created, retaining the existing wall and incorporating Sam’s ideas, such as the inclusion of tractors within the design in tribute to her sons. There will also be an ornamental tree with a special memorial plaque, four more trees to symbolise the boys, and benches for people to sit and reflect.
"We met with Sam at the site in August to discuss the plans but we are sorry if there has been any misunderstanding about the timescales of that work that has caused upset – and we have a meeting with Sam and Winsford Mayor Coun Nathan Pardoe on Thursday to go through the design and the timetable. Currently the overgrown vegetation is being cleared as the land is prepared for work to start on the new garden next month, with the intention that Sam continues to be involved in this process throughout.”
Coun Pardoe weighed in on the issue, saying Linden Homes 'must deliver on its promise' to protect the memory of Joshua, Thomas, Callum and Daniel Young.
“Plans were drawn up last summer for the reinstatement of the memorial garden," the mayor of Winsford said. "Linden Homes staff are aware of how important this garden is to the Winsford community and always intended to reinstate it. The most important thing is that the wishes of the family continue to be incorporated into plans for reinstatement, with this in mind I'll be attending a site visit along with Sam and Linden Homes.
"All involved want to see a memorial garden that remembers Joshua, Thomas, Callum and Daniel appropriately. Linden Homes must deliver on its promise to protect their memory by restoring the garden and work closely with Sam to reinstate it with care and sensitivity.”
Linden Homes, Coun Nathan Pardoe, Cheshire West and Chester Council and Sam Tolley are arranging a meeting this week to sort out the situation and make clear exactly what Sam’s wishes are for the revised memorial garden.
A spokesman for Cheshire West and Chester Council added: “The council has long been conscious of the need to respect this important memorial, which remembers the four boys from Winsford who attended the school.
"Even though the Handley Hill school site is being redeveloped for housing, the memorial will still be retained and rebuilt on the site as part of this new development. The planning permission for the site was approved on the condition that the developer reinstate a new memorial garden.
"The developer has been instructed by the council to carry out this work and integrate an improved memorial garden as part of its plans, which was approved in August of last year. The council and the developer are committed to retaining and enhancing the memorial garden and we are aware a meeting is taking place on Thursday to discuss its design.”
