TODAY, in many respects, Sheffield throws in the towel to the vandals.
That is the most chilling conclusion after police advised grieving families to stop putting flowers on the graves of loved ones in case they are stolen.
Mourners are even being told to cut off the stalks of flowers so they cannot be taken and sold
!
We have every sympathy with police and the council officials who face a huge task in making the cemetery secure. It covers a vast area of 108 acres with numerous entrances. They cannot be everywhere all the time.
And let's be honest. A cemetery is the last place you would expect to have to turn into a fortress against vandals.
But that is an indicator of just how low this city has sunk.
To visit a grave is a part of the grieving process for many people. To visit a grave and find it vandalised and pillaged simply piles on the agony.
Someone, somewhere knows who is responsible. And so we appeal to their sense of decency to speak out and put an end to this vile, loathsome activity.
Help put us on the line from recessionGOOD luck to South Yorkshire transport bosses who are stepping up efforts to persuade the Government to bring high-speed rail travel to the county.
It comes as Greengauge 21, an organisation to advise on which high-speed lines would offer best value for money, is set up to look at creating a modern and high-speed link to London through the country's most major cities, including Sheffield.
For years, business leaders have been complaining that Sheffield's regeneration has been held back due to poor rail links with the capital.
As the nation slides towards a recession, there can be no more pressing time to find ways to help our region. We are not now talking about growth but about halting any decline.
This proposal to bring Sheffield and London closer together has been on the agenda for too long.
It is time for it to move to the next stage and see the Government help a city which has put so much into the prosperity of the nation in the past..
What do you think? Add your comments below.
READ MOREMain news indexYour letters.
FeaturesMore Rotherham newsMore Doncaster newsMore Barnsley newsCheck out the very latest on South Yorkshire's roads - including live traffic cameras on Sheffield's commuter routes - with our Traffic sectionLatest sport. The full article contains 419 words and appears in Sheffield Star newspaper.
