A woman has hailed a council U-turn over the removal of a bench dedicated to her mum who was tragically killed in a Stonehaven accident.
Yan Tennant, from Glasgow, launched a petition after Aberdeenshire Council removed a bench dedicated to the memory of Stonehaven woman Jackie Poole, who died 25 years ago.
The council said the bench was removed after falling into a state “beyond repair” after two decades but friends and family of Jackie claimed that the local authority had agreed to a “lifelong contract” for its upkeep.
Jackie was the manageress of a supermarket where she was involved in a fatal accident at work, when she was crushed by a forklift truck.
Yan said: “It was a sad loss to the community and her ashes were scattered on the hill leading to the war memorial in Stonehaven and a bench was placed on the spot.
“Last year, according to Aberdeenshire Council, the bench fell into such a state of disrepair it was removed, despite there being a lifelong contract for its upkeep.
“The council advised that a new bench and plaque could be purchased and placed back in the spot.
“To mark the 25th anniversary, the council were contacted to replace the bench but they then refused to put another bench anywhere at the memorial.”
However, Yan contacted the council again after the petition gained more than 200 signatures but was told she could buy a new bench and place it elsewhere in Stonehaven just not at the war memorial.
She said she was told this was because there had been complaints about the number of benches and that the land was very expensive.
Yan said this was not satisfactory and advised that she had previously been told the new bench could be placed on the exact spot where the old one stood.
Following further negotiations, the council agreed to let the family buy a bench and place it back at the war memorial.
Yan said: “I doubt this would have happened without everyone’s support.”