Crowborough Woman “Devastated” After Parents’ Grave “Disturbed” by Council in Sevenoaks

A Crowborough resident expressed “absolute devastation” following the “disturbance” of her parents’ grave in Sevenoaks by the local council. Barbara Kennell discovered the headstone had been relocated, the soil had been compacted, and plants had been taken away during a visit to the burial site. Jan Carmichael, Ms Kennell’s daughter, stated that her mother was “very distressed” and would not revisit the grave until the issues were rectified. Sevenoaks Town Council issued an apology to the family, explaining that “the headstone was deemed unsafe and needed to be laid flat on the plot because of instability.” Ms Carmichael subsequently contacted the council to inquire why the “disrespectful” event occurred “without warning.” She asserted, “This grave was as sturdy as a rock.” She further mentioned that her mother, who has maintained the grave since 1994 without any prior problems, was especially distressed that the council had “started desecrating the plants on top of the grave.” The council stated that attempts were made to inform Ms Kennell about their intentions, but they lacked accurate contact information because, as they put it, “unfortunately, the family did not update records.” A council spokesperson commented, “We hope that we can help them with the process of restoring the plot to its former condition and the headstone to a safe position.” The spokesperson elaborated, “The gravestone was approached from the side with a mechanical digger to facilitate the removal of the high growing shrubs.” They added, “The headstone was then repositioned onto the grave space.” The family indicated their intention to be “taking this further” should the issue remain unresolved.