Giant 37 tonne headstone may be torn down for being built without permission
A headstone that weighs 37 tonnes and features a solar-powered jukebox may have to be removed after it emerged it was built without permission.
The huge marble memorial was created to honour bare-knuckle boxer Willy Collins – known as ‘Big Willy’ – a father-of-nine who died aged 49 after collapsing while on holiday with his family in Majorca in July 2020.
It is believed his family may have paid £200,000 to create the headstone – which is crafted from solid Carrara marble – at Shiregreen Cemetery, Sheffield.
But council bosses have revealed that the headstone had been erected “without permission”, meaning it may have to be demolished in the future.
Councillor Alison Teal, of Sheffield City Council, said: “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.”
The headstone, which was only unveiled on 17 March, has depictions of Jesus Christ and biblical scenes, plus a solar-powered jukebox playing Mr Collins’s favourite tracks.
Mourners can also connect to the speaker through Bluetooth to play their own songs while looking at two life-sized statues of the boxer.
The headstone is lit with LED lights that change colour and is under 24-hour CCTV monitoring, which his family can also access on their phones and use to ‘speak’ to him.
But in her statement, Teal made it clear that there were strict planning laws governing the size and dimensions of graves.
She added: “A memorial should be less than 75mm thick and no taller than 1.35m from ground level…
“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.”
Mary Collins, 30, Mr Collins’ daughter, earlier dismissed suggestions that her family was concerned the headstone might be forcibly torn down in the future.
She had said: “We don’t worry as all the plots taken up, we own.
“We bought all the plots as it’s a family grave, so we’re not taking over more space than it should be.”
Ms Collins said the headstone was “a way to show the world what he meant to us”.
Hundreds of mourners lined the streets of Sheffield last August for Mr Collins’ funeral as his body was carried in a gold-plated casket, which was transported by a horse-pulled carriage.
