AN 82-year-old widower who was inseparable from his wife during their marriage, visits her grave twice daily in the Bovey Tracey cemetery.

But for James Small the only place to rest his weary legs and have some solitude to be near his beloved Phebe – the couple were married for 60 years until she passed away aged 77 on May 31 – is by sitting on a nearby bank.

On Monday, Mr

Small, of Clifford Avenue, Kingsteignton, his daughter Carol Penfold, of Meadowcroft Drive, Kingsteignton, and other members of the family, went to Bovey Tracey Town Council's Finance, Resources and General Purposes Committee to appeal against the council's refusal to grant permission for a memorial bench in that area of the cemetery.

Mr Small and his family lived in Bovey Tracey for several years.

In a letter to the council, Mrs Penfold wrote that she was very disappointed with the decision.

She noted that three other similar applications had been refused but maintained that only proved how much a bench was required in that area.

'No-one who visits the graves in this part of the cemetery can sit and view their loved ones graves. There are other locations where a bench could be put without obstructing access to Coombe Park,' she maintained.

Teignbridge MP Richard Younger-Ross, who was contacted by Mrs Penfold, wrote to the council saying he would appreciate it if councillors could look into the matter.

The chairman, Cllr George Gribble, said councillors had previously discussed it at length.

'We cannot have a bench beside every grave. That would be impossible. We have in the past received various requests to put benches in the cemetery by members of our parish and they have been refused.

'We have viewed them with sympathy and we do sympathise with Mrs Penfold and Mr Small because of the emotive issues,' said Cllr Gribble.

Cllr Dorreen Black said there were one or two benches at the top of the cemetery that no-one sat on.

'I think they could be moved further down because they are not being used,' she said.

Cllr Anna Klinkenberg warned that while she had every sympathy, if they went down the route of granting, they would then have a moral obligation to contact the people who had been refused.

She backed Cllr Black's suggestion of looking at resiting one or two of the benches.

The committee deferred making a decision until visiting the site.

The family was asked not to take a small dog into the cemetery, which councillors heard had been allowed to roam free. Only guide dogs are allowed in.

On Wednesday, Cllr Gribble said the council was attempting to do its best to try to please everyone in an emotive situation.

'He said they could not put in any more permanent seats which were concreted in.

'Access is needed across this land to an adjoining property and for maintenance. What we might look at is having a bench seat which we could move around the cemetery,' he added.