Mayor tells locals don't die; cemetery's full

by amyjudd | March 6, 2008 at 02:51 pm | 538 views | 2 comments

Mayor tells locals don't die; cemetery's full by Janice Cape

Locals of a small village in southwest France have been told they will be severly punished if they die, because there's no room left in the town's cemetery to bury them. I wonder how someone can be serverly punished if they are already dead?

In an ordinance posted in the council offices, Mayor Gerard Lalanne told the 260 residents of the village of Sarpourenx that "all persons not having a plot in the cemetery and wishing to be buried in Sarpourenx are forbidden from dying in the parish."

It added: "Offenders will be severely punished."

The mayor said he was forced to take drastic action after an administrative court in the nearby town of Pau ruled in January that the acquisition of adjoining private land to extend the cemetery would not be justified.

Lalanne, who celebrated his 70th birthday on Wednesday and is standing for election to a seventh term in this month's local elections, said he was sorry that there had not been a positive outcome to the dilemma.

"It may be a laughing matter for some, but not for me," he said.

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emilymc71

at 16:46 on March 6th, 2008

I was visiting the cemetary in Nice, France, a spectacular position on top of a steep cliff overlooking the sea.
I found myself more occupied with the decaying graves than the beautiful view from this amazing resting place on top of the world, though still appreciating that the lucky few to have a plot there were in a place that truly felt like heaven.

emilymc71 has contributed a photo to this story.