Grieving families in tears after cows rampage through graveyard eating the floral tributes after fence gives way
Grieving families were left in tears this weekend after a herd of cows escaped their field and destroyed a cemetery, eating flowers left on the plots.
Mourners were left in tears after visiting South Bristol Crematorium on Saturday when they found graves covered in cow pats from the wandering animals.
Four cows from the adjacent municipal pasture had escaped and caused problems in the area all weekend.
People visiting the cemetery tried in vain to round up the cows, with one lady using her walking stick to keep the cows away from the plots – even ‘beautifying’ them.
Mourners were left in tears after visiting South Bristol Crematorium on Saturday when they found graves covered in cow pats from the wandering animals
Four cows from the adjacent municipal pasture had escaped and caused problems in the area all weekend
Police eventually called the cattle’s owners and helped her retrieve the cows on Sunday, which had ventured further into town and were found behind some public toilets.
The owner apologized for the trouble caused and said her cows can be “very difficult to find.”
Jane Channing regularly visits her son’s grave and said she couldn’t sleep because of “worries” about the cows in the cemetery.
Speak with BristolLiveshe said she “couldn’t believe it” when she visited on Sunday and the cows were still there.
She said visitors were ‘crying and distraught’ and – despite suffering from a serious heart condition – used her walking stick to protect the graves.
She told BristolLive: ‘I’m walking around there trying to get them away, we were even trying to move them, it felt so humiliating.’
Visitors were ‘crying and distraught’ over the destroyed cemetery this weekend
On Sunday, police helped owner Liz Withers collect the cows found behind public toilets in another part of the city: Bedminster Down.
She apologized to the families and explained that the cow had escaped through a gate that had been left open, and then through a broken gate.
Mrs Withers said she found the cows missing in the field on Saturday and, after being informed of their location, drove to the cemetery.
But at that point they had moved on. She then received a call from the police and thanked them for their help. She told BristolLive that new fencing is being organized by the council.
Commenting on social media, one person said: ‘I was at my parents’ grave yesterday morning.
‘We were sitting there at eleven o’clock in the morning when suddenly one by one the cows appeared at the bottom of the cemetery.
‘We walked down and tried to lead them back, but it didn’t work. There were four in total. I drove around looking for an employee to report it to, but couldn’t find anyone. They really had a feast.’