A grieving widow has called for a change in cemetery rules after finding dog feces on her husband's grave. Tracy Field, 54, expressed her disgust upon discovering the mess at Burslem Cemetery in Stoke-on-Trent, where her husband Steven Field is buried.
Steven, 40, tragically died in a car crash in June 2025. Driver David Barker, 27, from Weston Coyney, was sentenced to 88 months in prison after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving. Tracy spent £6,500 on a gravestone, which was erected in March.
She said: 'There is no law against walking dogs in the cemetery, but they must be kept on a lead and owners must clean up after them. When I visited my husband's grave, it was covered in dog muck. It's absolutely disgusting. Before I could pay my respects, I had to clean up someone else's dog poo.'
Tracy, who has disabilities, found the task difficult and stressful. 'What kind of person takes their dog around a cemetery and lets it poo on a grave? It's disrespectful. Why not go to a park instead?'
She contacted the council but was told signs were already in place and no further action could be taken. After a two-and-a-half-hour wait on the phone to the antisocial behaviour department, she gave up. 'Nobody saw anything, so no action can be taken. But there's no one to enforce the rules. A man was attacked by two dogs off leads in the cemetery in February.'
Tracy now wants dogs banned from cemeteries entirely. 'There are fields and parks nearby. People should be able to mourn in peace without dealing with attacks or mess on graves.'
A Stoke-on-Trent City Council spokesperson said: 'We understand this is distressing and rare. We thank responsible dog owners who keep our spaces clean. Cleaning up after dogs is a legal requirement. At Burslem Cemetery, signs and staff remind owners that dogs must be on leads, as per the 2014 dog control order. This balances dog walking with dignity for visitors.'
