A grieving father says he is prepared to go to jail so he can keep putting flowers on his son's grave.

Great Cornard Parish Council is threatening to ban Tony Tatam, of Bradford Street, Braintree, from visiting his son's grave.

It says the floral grave costs too much to maintain.

The threat comes almost two years to the day after teenager Richard Tatam, 16, was killed when the car he was travelling in hit a tree.

A row broke out after father Tony planted flowers on his son's grave at Cornard cemetery, near Sudbury, as the parish council insists the grave be turfed over with grass and keeps having the flowers removed.

But a determined Mr Tatam stubbornly replaces the floral tributes when he makes his weekly 32-mile round trip to the cemetery.

Now the council is threatening to take out an injunction outlawing him from visiting the cemetery altogether.

A stunned Mr Tatam, of Bradford Street, Bocking, received a letter from the council's solicitors just days before the anniversary of Richard's death.

He says he is prepared to go to prison over the bitter dispute.

"All I want is to be able to mourn my son by putting flowers on his grave but I've had nothing but aggravation," said Mr Tatam, 57.

"Nothing in the world can stop me from visiting my child's grave. They can put me in prison but the day they let me out I'll be back there looking after my son's grave."

Braintree councillor Barbara Buchan, who is supporting Mr Tatam in his long-running battle, said he burst into tears when he received the legal threat.

She said: "He cried. They sent him a letter which says if he doesn't stop putting flowers on his son's grave they may get an injunction stopping him visiting it.

"He was very emotional and distressed. Every time he goes over there and plants flowers on the grave they wait for him to leave, dig it up and lay turf on the grave. They've replanted the grave four times in one week.

"Richard was all Tony had, he was his life."

The parish council has argued it costs too much to look after "garden graves" - despite an offer from Mr Tatam to pay the cash up front for the next five years.

The threat to ban him from the cemetery came after Mr Tatam issued a court summons for £150 compensation for flowers and shrubs removed from Richard's grave.

A Great Cornard Parish Council spokesperson said: "We have all been told not to comment. This is now in the hands of our solicitors."

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