'King of Sheffield' Willy Collins: Council claims permission for huge headstone in city cemetery was not granted

Permission for a huge and controversial headstone in a Sheffield cemetery, which has made headlines around the world, was not granted before it was installed, claims Sheffield Council.
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The family of the late Willy Collins unveiled a huge headstone at the former bare-knuckle boxer’s grave at Shiregreen cemetery last week.

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'King of Sheffield' Willy Collins' 37-ton marble headstone including jukebox unv...

The 37-ton monument, which features two life-sized statues of the dad-of-nine, is crafted from solid Carrara marble imported from Italy.

This giant headstone for the late Willy Collins has been installed at Shiregreen CemeteryThis giant headstone for the late Willy Collins has been installed at Shiregreen Cemetery
This giant headstone for the late Willy Collins has been installed at Shiregreen Cemetery
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Other features include four flagpoles, depictions of Jesus Christ and biblical scenes, and a solar-powered jukebox playing the patriarch’s favourite tracks.

The headstone is lit up in LED lights that change colour and is under 24-hour CCTV monitoring.

Willy Collins, known to many as ‘Big Willy’ Collins and the ‘King of Sheffield’, died in July 2020 after collapsing while on holiday with his family in Port de Pollença in Majorca. He was 49.

One of 16 children, Willy was the patriarch of the Collins family and had around 400 nieces and nephews.

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He moved to Sheffield from Ireland as a child in 1980 and brought up his own family in the city.

Following the unveiling of the monument, Sheffield Council claimed permission for it was not granted beforehand.

Councillor Alison Teal, Executive Member for Sustainable Neighbourhoods, Wellbeing, Parks and Leisure, said: “All plans for grave memorials should be submitted to the council and must receive approval from Bereavement Services before they are erected.

“For submissions, applicants must provide several details, including the material and size of the memorial, the proposed inscription and a sketch. A memorial should be less than 75mm thick and no taller than 1.35m from ground level.

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“We are aware of a large memorial which has been erected in Shiregreen Cemetery. This memorial was built without permission and we are currently considering our next steps.

“Cemeteries are a place where people can come, pay their respects and visit loved ones who are no longer with us. We understand memorials are deeply personal, however we must have rules in place to ensure fairness.”

But the Collins family disputes the claim and insists they had permission for the headstone.

Willy's widow, Kathleen Collins, said: “We own the land and we do have planning permission.

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“The council haven't contacted me or anyone from the family to raise any concerns. If they do have any issue with it they should contact us directly.

“It's just because it's all over the media and there's a lot of hate that this is happening.

“They watched it getting built every day without saying anything, and it wasn't done in a day. It took two weeks to get finished.”