A MOTHER who built a memorial garden in honour of her son who died on his 16th birthday has spoken of her devastation after being told to remove it by a housing association.
Emma Collins created the memorial garden on the patch of land in front of her ground floor flat after moving to her home on Weston Street, Portland, roughly a year ago.
Emma, 48, has told how building the garden brought her comfort as it was created in honour of her son Daniel who died on his 16th birthday in a quad bike accident in Wales in 2011.
On Friday, Emma received a phone call from housing association Aster Group, which owns the property, telling her that she needed to remove the garden as it needs to be kept 'clear' - something that Emma says she was surprised to learn after nearly a year had passed since it was built.
She said: "I was so surprised when I got a call from Aster as I never thought I needed permission to build the garden as the land is right in front of my kitchen window.
"Building the memorial garden in honour of Daniel was very comforting for me and I have scattered some of his ashes in it.
"After Daniel died, my mental health was very bad and I didn't go outside, but the garden gives me somewhere to sit and I can chat to people as they walk past. I get compliments on it all day, every day.
"It means everything to me."
There has been an outpouring of support from the local community for Emma and her memorial garden, which contains flowers, gnomes, lights and a picture of Daniel in the middle.
One of Emma's neighbours started a petition asking Aster to let her keep the garden and it has already been signed by more than 260 people.
Emma said: "I am completely overwhelmed with the support I have received and it has really made me want to fight to keep the garden."
A spokesman for Aster Group said: "We're very sorry to have caused our customer distress by asking her to remove the memorial.
"We understand that customers may want to add personal touches to communal areas, however, we do have a responsibility to make sure that they are kept clear so they're safe and everyone in the building can enjoy the spaces.
"We'll be in touch with Miss Collins to talk further about how the area is used and help, where possible, to find an alternative solution."
To sign the petition, visit bit.ly/3f14RhK
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