That ribbons & balloons along public streets for a funeral is litter rather than a tribute?

Yanbu. It never gets tidied up. It's mostly blown away so people like me litter pick it later.

Balloon releases are criminal but local councils don't have the resources or guts to crack down on them. I do always give a "like" to people brave enough to complain about them on local news stories facebook feeds.

I don't think it should be permitted at all, it's not enough to ask that it's taken down within a reasonable time. People don't do it (which I understand, it's hard to face that life is moving forward) and also it can still become loose/fly away and become litter. Over time these things tend to become a bit "competitive" as people want to show how much they love the person so they gradually grow out of control.

I do get that it's very sensitive but I think a blanket ban would be fairest.

Crash site memorials are different as they are location specific and less common.

At least these are the actual grieving family and close friends of the deceased person.

I agree with PP: I say let them do it, but make sure that they are removed soon afterwards, once tribute has been duly paid and photos taken if desired.

Much worse is when a popular celebrity dies and thousands of people bring bunches of flowers to throw on top of the existing huge flower mound - usually still in the plastic wrapping too, so you couldn't properly see the actual flowers anyway.

Worst of all was at Diana's funeral, where people were flinging flowers at the windscreen of the hearse - containing the body of a woman who had died in a car crash. The hearse driver was then blamed for 'being disrespectful' when he put the wipers on to clear the floral missile debris, so he could actually see properly to drive safely and avoid another car crash.

I don’t mind a crash site tribute if it is kept neat/maintained - the ones where everything has been left to look like a fly tip seem to highlight that the deceased person has now just been forgotten about - which makes it worse!

Toys , too. I don’t like it.

It cant be that often surely

Yes i hate this. I don't mind a bunch of flowers tied on a lamppost with some wool but when they're still in plastic and sellotaped and then other crap it looks very naff. And I agree is just a pile of rubbish. Equally hate balloon releases- let's remember our loved one by killing a bunch of wildlife and livestock in their name.

I think people don’t want to take down tributes. Someone lovingly hung little ornaments and a plaque on a tree by the river which is quite sweet. Unfortunately it’s all made of mdf which has expanded in the rain and bits are dropping off so there’s a flower still on the tree but the little pot has fallen off. I’m not very sure whether to tidy it all into the bin, or just the bits that fall off as otherwise they will be in the river come winter storms.

I think if you do things like that you have a responsibility to come back and check / remove if necessary.

I've never seen it either but I agree it should be both allowed and removed. The vote didn't allow for that so I voted you are not unreasonable because I'm sick of all the extra crap everywhere.

I have never seen people do this for funerals and there is a crematorium and cemetery not far from where I live. Is this a recent thing? Is it common in some parts of the country?

@TheNightingalesStarling You are right about people reacting badly. I remember a bit of a furore a few years ago when the council cleared away some of the tatt tributes that had been left on some graves by families.

We had a shrine near my house for about six months getting increasingly littery looking. There were even bottles of drink there and battery candles along with the ribbons and dead flowers. It has just gone as contractors are rebuilding the wall the unfortunate lad drove into at speed. I do think they should be removed or at least limited to some flowers.

Both are the case - if people want balloons and stuff on lampposts, have at it. Not my thing, but whatever helps people grieve.

But also they should be cleared away within a few days, ideally by a friend of the family willing to prevent them being upset by the task.

People react badly to funeral traditions and memorials being criticised.
Sane with balloon releases.