This week 30 years ago: Islington Council plot to raise funds at crematorium angers mourners

Hard-up mourners were rocked by the prospect of being forced to give up their loved one’s resting place by Islington Council.

Price hikes meant plaques faced being removed with plots where ashes were scattered offered to other mourners able to offer more cash. The bizarre plans were designed to boost income at Islington Crematorium.

One mourner said: “You’re not even safe when you’re dead.”

But grieving mother and daughter Anne and Hazel Lockyer launched a campaign against the increase in charges for a plot in the garden and the council compromised on the prices.

n A council crackdown on safety risked bringing down the curtain on Islington’s fringe theatre.

The management of the popular King’s Head Theatre in Upper Street were anxiously awaiting the outcome of a court case with the council.

The local authority was prosecuting the venue for allegedly failing to comply with the appropriate safety regulations.