Labour-run council accused of waging war on dogs

In some ways, the key problem facing London now is much the same as it was when Old Paddington Cemetery, a grade II cemetery in the north-west of the city, was built in 1855: overcrowding. In the early 1800s, the capital experienced an acute shortage of space for bury him dead. The Burial Act, passed in 1852, allowed boroughs to purchase land outside their parish for burial grounds. Three years later Paddington Old Cemetery was opened in what was then a rural area of ​​Willesden.

It was developed by Westminster Council in the 1980s and then sold to the city of Brent for a total of five pounds. It’s not as star-studded as nearby Kensal Green Cemetery, where famous figures such as Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Anthony Trollope and William Makepeace Thackeray are buried, but it has a few claims to fame.

This is the final resting place of Cuthbert John Ottaway, England’s first football captain and, more recently, author. Michael Bondon whose modest tombstone the title of the first chapter is engraved The first book about Paddington Bear“Please look after this bear.” This was reportedly the inspiration for Zadie Smith’s latest novel. Fraud (and, I’m told, this is where the author regularly walks his dog.)

Now the cemetery, still peaceful, lush and green, is a paradise sandwiched between the two vibrant and densely populated London districts of Kilburn and Queen’s Park. It has been redefined in part as a place to celebrate life rather than just death, with an area set aside for a wildflower meadow and an area for honeybee hives.

This is also at full capacity. Over its 170-year history, the cemetery has been declared “full” several times. Crowded cemeteries are a national problem: this month a Law Commission report warned that urban areas are rapidly running out of burial space and suggested reusing graves to tackle the problem.

At the old Paddington cemetery, new residents were buried in confusing rows along the old paths as it was the only remaining unoccupied space. However, now it faces a different kind of overpopulation, that of dogs. Some grave owners and the local Labor council claim the cemetery is overrun by dogs.