Petition wins grieving family council meeting (From Warrington Guardian)

Petition wins grieving family council meeting

A HUGE petition has won a grieving family a crunch meeting with the council over the solar lights on their son's grave.

The council told the Robinson family they had to take the lights off the grave - so they handed in a 676 name petition.

Peter Robinson said: "People I don't even know have been coming to the house with their own petitions.

"And people have been stopping me in the street and shaking my hand and saying 'carry on'."

Peter and Jeana Robinson lost their 10-year-old son Ryan to a brain tumour in December 2003.

The Halton Lodge primary pupil was described as 'a remarkable boy' by his headteacher, Margaret White.

Last Autumn the council said the Robinson's needed to remove solar lights from his grave to help stop the graveyard looking like 'Blackpool illuminations'.

Peter, from Boston Avenue, says he now understands from meetings with council officers that the lights may be able to stay.

The decision will be made at a council meeting on April 5.

"It would be a big relief if they can stay - it would be piece of mind," said Peter.

"I will know my son will never be left in the dark. We will be able to grieve properly without this pressure on us."

He stressed: "I want to thank everybody has supported us and signed the petitions or collected petitions."

A Halton council spokesperson said: "The council has relieved the petition and arrangements will be made to present this to the relevant policy and performance board in due course."