COLD-HEARTED council officials threatened to remove an ornamental tree and memorial plaque from a crematorium if a “renewal fee” was not paid.

Jane Heslop, 58, bought a tree and plaque in memory of her parents ten years ago and often visits with her family to lay flowers.

She said she was astonished when she received a letter from Salisbury Crematorium informing her she must pay £36 for “renewal of the shrub and plaque”.

When she phoned the crematorium to ask what the letter was about, she was told that if she didn’t pay it, the plaque would be removed. “I was not aware at the time I bought it this was going to happen,”

she said. “It was a bit of a shock. I just can’t believe they would take it away.

“I said to my dad at the time I would do this – we got a tree planted because he was very much into nature. The thought now is that I am letting him down.

“In a graveyard, you would not expect them in ten years’ time to remove a headstone,” she added. “You do it with the intention of it being there for a good long time.” Mrs Heslop said she did not begrudge paying the money, but felt the tree and plaque were not particularly well looked after anyway, as shrubs regularly grow around it and cover it up.

She also received the letter just days before the deadline, and since she paid the amount and complained about the overgrown area, nothing has yet been done to sort it out.

She said: “My main concern is what happens when we have gone? Now we have got the worry that this will be taken away.

“In years to come, if they have taken the plaque away, nobody will be able to visit it – it will just be gone.”

A Salisbury City Council spokesman said: “Every effort is made to inform families of the ten year renewal programme at the time of ordering a memorial. Our staff pride themselves on their quality of service and care at such a difficult time and the comments regarding the upkeep of the memorial plaque and the tree have already been noted and will be dealt with accordingly.”