Grieving mother left in tears after local council orders family to remove decorations at grave of their seven-year-old daughter - because they are 'disturbing the peace of the cemetery'

A grieving mother has been left heartbroken after the council ordered her to remove decorations from her daughter's grave because they 'disturb the peace'. Gemma Sadler, 40, lost her seven-year-old child Lottie in May 2023, after the little girl was diagnosed with a brain tumour. After she passed, the devastated parent laid her to rest in an adult plot - so that they could be buried together when the time comes.

In tribute to their late loved one, friends and family adorned Lottie's grave with cuddly toys, ornamental rabbits and drawings. But this week, local authorities in Brackley, Northamptonshire got in touch over 'complaints from visitors regarding the decorations, who feel that they are disturbing the peace of the cemetery'. Gemma admitted she 'cried her eyes out' after receiving the correspondence, ordering her to remove the trinkets - many of which held special meaning to Lottie.

'I haven't slept since and I can't eat because I can't cope with it all,' she revealed. 'When she died, I chose for her to be in the adult section of the cemetery because I wanted to be with her and it wasn't deep enough for me to be buried in the children's area. Gemma Sadler, 40, lost her seven-year-old child Lottie in May 2023, after the little girl was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Both pictured.

After she passed, the devastated parent laid her to rest in an adult plot - so that they could be buried together when the time comes. In tribute to their late loved one, friends and family adorned Lottie's grave with cuddly toys, ornamental rabbits and drawings. This week, local authorities in Brackley, Northamptonshire got in touch over 'complaints from visitors regarding the decorations, who feel that they are disturbing the peace of the cemetery'.

'I can't wait to be with her, because I miss her so much. Now, I feel so guilty because I've made the wrong decision and I have to live with that. Gemma goes to see her every day, to tell her goodnight and speak about her day. 'We tell her how much we love her, we miss her and we'll be with her soon,' she said. 'We've left decorations and little things to show her how much we love her. There's nothing that would offend anyone.'.

The grieving mother branded the council's communication 'cold', and said they were 'treating Lottie as a plot number'. 'They didn't even use her name,' she continued. 'It hasn't been thought out at all and there's no empathy. They basically said to take everything off or they will.'. Lottie, pictured with her siblings Jacob and Amy was diagnosed with a brain tumour in May 2022. Gemma rushed her to the hospital because she was being 'violently' sick, had a migraine and one side of her face drooped.

The letter read: 'Over recent weeks, I have received complaints from visitors regarding the decorations, who feel that they are disturbing the peace of the cemetery. 'Therefore, I must request that you remove the items placed on the length of the grave within one month from the date of this letter and restrict any decorations to the area at the head of the plot where a memorial headstone would be placed.

'Once this has been completed, we will ensure the grave is grassed as other plots are within the area.'. Nursery assistant and groundworker husband, Jason, 45, has organised a petition to stop the council from forcing them to remove the ornaments. It has more than 3,000 signatures and the council said there will be a meeting to discuss the issue. 'We were such a close family and we have lots of friends so it's not just us who were putting things on there,' Gemma said.

'She has little friends who watched her decline and they bring gifts for their own comfort. 'Her best friend put a solar light on the grave so she's not in the dark. This doesn't just affect us.'. The little girl had five operations to relieve the pressure on her brain, intensive chemotherapy and six weeks of radiotherapy. Pictured with her family. The family were 'hoping for a miracle', but doctors said the treatment wasn't working and Lottie went into palliative care.

Lottie, pictured, was buried in the cemetery in June 2023. Gemma admitted the ordeal was 'traumatic'. Gemma said she 'doesn't want them to change the rules for everyone but the fact is that she's a child and children are allowed small gardens with decorations'. 'When we went to choose the plot, we weren't in the right frame of mind but we always wanted her to have a garden,' she recounted. 'No parent wants to have to do that. It's the only place we have for a bit of comfort and now it's going to be a bit of grass. It's heartbreaking and the whole family is so broken.'.

Lottie was diagnosed with a brain tumour in May 2022. Gemma rushed her to the hospital because she was being 'violently' sick, had a migraine and one side of her face drooped. The little girl had five operations to relieve the pressure on her brain, intensive chemotherapy and six weeks of radiotherapy. The family were 'hoping for a miracle', but doctors said the treatment wasn't working and Lottie went into palliative care.