Southend seafront bench memorial denied over vandalism risk

Nina Stephenson-Camps has been involved in a six-month battle with Southend Council to get a memorial bench on Chalkwell seafront in honour of her husband Richard Stephenson.

Richard died from cancer in October last year, leaving behind Nina and their two daughters.

The family often visited the seafront together and said it was his “happy place” while he was fighting the disease.

However, the council has said it no longer offers seafront memorial benches because of the risk of vandalism. 

Nina, 51, said: “It was our daily routine. We dropped the kids off to school and went to the seafront for a walk.

Heartbreaking: Visiting the seafront was part of the couple's daily routine. (Image: Nina Stephenson-Camps)

“Even when Richard was sick, he would want to go to the seafront because it made him feel better. This is what brought him joy.

“I really want to get a bench there so that me and the children can have somewhere to go to remember their father. It was his happy place.”

However, despite her efforts, Nina claims the council told her that they no longer offer memorial benches along the seafront because of rising costs and antisocial behaviour.

“I feel really saddened and frustrated by the council’s terrible decision. We pay for the bench anyway so it’s a real shame they aren’t willing to maintain it. It’s just an excuse,” she said.

“When I told my youngest daughter that we would not be able to get a bench for her dad, she burst into tears and was so upset.

“They’ve told me that we can have a bench in a park but that makes no sense. How can you have a bench in a dodgy park but not along the seafront?

Heartbreaking: Nina says she wanted a memorial bench so that her children had a place to go to remember their father. (Image: Nina Stephenson-Camps)

“It just feels like an erosion of our small pleasures and we don’t even have an option to protest it.

“It’s such a simple request and it’s so sad that we cannot honour our loved ones the way we want to.

A council spokesperson said: “It is still possible to request memorial benches in our parks, which includes some locations along the seafront. We haven’t offered the option of memorial benches across any highway maintained land since 2022. This is due to several reasons including frequent vandalism, antisocial behaviour, and the financial pressures of repairs and maintenance.”