Brothers stopped from comforting their mum at father's funeral in Milton Keynes

A heartbreaking moment in which two brothers comforting their grieving mother at their father’s funeral were asked to move away because of COVID-19 rules, has caused uproar.

An official at Crownhill Crematorium, in Milton Keynes, reprimanded brothers Craig and Paul Bicknell when moved their chairs closer to their mother Barbara’s, saying: “You have to move your chairs back I’m afraid, you can’t move your chairs, you were told.”

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The moment was captured on video by their friends, who webcast it, and is currently making the rounds on social media.

A son moves his chair next to his mother to comfort her at the funeral of her late husband, a member of staff says they’ve “been told” and asked to separate. It really does highlight the cruel lack of humanity and decency in the way in which we’re forced to live our lives today. pic.twitter.com/D6azRpCBAf

— Darren Grimes (@darrengrimes_) October 5, 2020

Speaking about what happened on Good Morning Britain today (Tuesday), Craig said: “The way he came flying out of the room towards us, I was slightly nervous of the pace he was coming at me with and when he said stop and explained what he wanted us to do, I had to make a split-second decision.

“Do I react? Do I try and talk to this guy, reason with this guy and beg with this guy that I need to be with my mum? Or do I try and sit back down, move my chair and give the service that my dad and we needed? It was anger, it a really empty feeling to be honest.”

And Paul said: “It was absolutely heartbreaking to have to go through that.

“It was the hardest day of our lives anyway and for someone to come out with that aggression and telling us to stop, all we wanted to do is comfort our mum at the hardest time.”

The pair had formed a support bubble with their mum after their father passed away two-and-a-half weeks ago, with Craig adding: “We hadn’t left her side. She needed us more than ever.”

Milton Keynes Council has apologised to the family, saying: “We are sorry to have upset this family.

“We don’t usually step in if a guest needs to be comforted by another family member and in this instance should have taken a more considered approach.”