GRIEVING mothers united yesterday at a Swindon crematorium to fight for their rights to keep sentimental items on their children’s graves.

Laura Kirby-Deacon and Karen Thompson both lost baby daughters and have flowers, cuddly toys and wind ornaments on their girls’ graves, at Kingsdown Crematorium.

Both mothers launched online petitions after receiving letters from Swindon Borough Council stating that items not complying with cemetery rules would be removed.

Their petitions have now garnered more than 6,000 signatures.

The council’s letter came with a lengthy list of items that are not allowed on graves which include windmills, vases, toys (including soft toys), plants and picture frames.

Permissible items include silk flowers, cards (for two weeks only) and plastic vases.

The petitions prompted a meeting with Kingsdown Crematorium manager Mamie Beasant at their daughters’ graves yesterday to express their views face-to-face.

Karen, from Old Town, lost her 14-month-old daughter Mya in October 2013 and has created a fenced graveside that she says reflects her daughter — with toys, windmills, and ornaments. Under the stated rules, all of these items will be removed on April 13.

The heartbroken 24-year-old spoke of her devastation at possibly losing the items on Mya’s grave.

“I just break down, I’m absolutely devastated,” she said.

“What can I do if I can’t put balloons on her grave on her birthday? How can she be remembered?

“It means the world to me that we can put those items on her grave and if I can’t do that for her any more I don’t know what I’d do. It’s honouring her.

“It’s showing my daughter’s personality. She loved teddy bears, and always wore hair bands.

“Anyone who visits this grave that knew her would feel like it honoured her.

“We don’t want to have standard graves. We want them maintained.

“It helps me to be here, it helps me to manage my grief. It makes me feels like she’s there with me.”

Karen was joined by Laura Kirby-Deacon, from Coleview, whose baby daughter Iashia was stillborn at 31 weeks in December 2011. The 38-year-old nurse said that laying items on the graves was caring for their beloved children.

“You want a well-turned out, well-dressed, happy child and that is why we maintain these graves,” she said.

“They are our children.

“You share every occasion with them, Easter, Christmas, birthdays.

“We want them to feel part of every family occasion.”

The mothers have sworn that the council will have to remove them before they remove the items, with Karen planning to be at Mya’s grave on April 13 to ensure it is not disturbed.

Mamie listened to the mothers’ issues and said a compromise may be able to be reached.

“We have spoken to all sorts of people including some who are all for having things moved and others that are opposed to it and what we are looking to do is something that is fair for everybody,” she said.