AG百家乐在线官网

Marble memorial at cemetery with jukebox and CCTV did not have permission, Sheffield council says

The memorial features two life-sized statues of William Collins, who was aged 49 when he died on holiday in Majorca - but the council said it was "considering" its next move.

What is thought to be the worlds biggest headstone has been unveiled in Sheffield. The memorial in Shiregreen Cemetery is to the head of traveller family and 'King of Sheffield' Willy Collins.  
Credit:SWNS
Image: The memorial in Shiregreen Cemetery which the council said had not been given permission. Pic: SWNS
Why you can trust Sky News

A marble memorial at a cemetery which took two weeks to build and features CCTV cameras and a solar-powered jukebox faces an uncertain future because a council says it did not have planning permission.

The 37-tonne monument in Sheffield to William Collins, who died in 2020, also has four Irish flags and a headstone which is lit up with LED lights.

Sheffield City Council has said permission has not been granted and that it was "considering our next steps".

What is thought to be the worlds biggest headstone has been unveiled in Sheffield. The memorial in Shiregreen Cemetery is to the head of traveller family and 'King of Sheffield' Willy Collins.  
Credit:SWNS
Image: The monument contains a solar-powered jukebox in its design. Pic: SWNS

According to the Sheffield Star, 24-hour CCTV monitoring at the memorial can be accessed by family members on their phones and used to "speak" to Mr Collins.

His eldest daughter, Mary Collins, told the newspaper the memorial at Shiregreen Cemetery was a "way to show the world what he meant to us" and the cost of the work had been "blood, sweat and tears".

There are also two life-sized statues of the bare-knuckle boxer, who was aged 49 when he died on holiday in Majorca.

The dad of nine moved to Sheffield from Ireland in 1980 and became known as "Big Willy".

More on South Yorkshire

But despite the family telling the newspaper it had permission for the Italian marble memorial, its future remains uncertain.

Sheffield City Council's bereavement service rules state applicants must give full details, including proposed inscriptions, before permission is given for any memorial.

Councillor Alison Teal, executive member for sustainable neighbourhoods, wellbeing, parks and leisure, said: "This memorial was built without permission and we are currently considering our next steps.

"We understand memorials are deeply personal, however we must have rules in place to ensure fairness."

But Mr Collins' widow, Kathleen, told The Star: "We own the land and we do have planning permission.

"They watched it getting built every day without saying anything and it wasn't done in a day. It took two weeks to get finished."