Not enough grit to bury the dead

Julie Gilbert and Jamie Borthwick • Published 13 Jan 2010 15:00

A CHURCH which pleaded with the council for grit for a funeral service was refused - because it was not "a priority".

Pall-bearers at Faifley Parish Church had to carry a coffin across treacherous ice on Thursday as the town felt the brunt of the cold weather.

Walter Sawers, the church elder, contacted West Dunbartonshire Council's (WDC) Roads department to ask for some more grit to create a pathway for the coffin, but was told it was not a priority.

Walter is angry that he could not source grit for the funeral.

He told the Post: "We had been buying our own grit but the supplier had ran out.

"I went around checking all the grit bins at the side of the roads but they were all empty.

"I phoned to see if the Roads department could grit the car park for us but they said it wasn't a priority.

"It caused a lot of problems for the bereaved.

"It's bad enough going through a bereavement without worrying about slipping.

"The hearse had to drive right into the grounds and the coffin had to be carried into the church.

"We only wanted to create a clear pathway up to the church."

The sub-zero temperatures made one road virtually unpassable as it froze solid a layer of sewage.

The stinking mess had overflowed from a manhole near to Vanguard Street, in Drumry, and was turned to ice in the plummeting cold.

Pat Buchanan was unable to get her 83-year-old mother out of the house due to the state of the pavements. She told the Post: "I was very angry.

"They came out with a digger and broke up the ice around the leak, but this area is just forgotten about."

The icy sewage also ensured residents could not move their cars in and out of their street without difficulty and even froze one motor fast to the ground.

As the thaw began on Monday, Scottish Water reminded Bankies that there is still a risk of pipes bursting.

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This article appeared in Clydebank Post 13 Jan 10

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