Labor council accused of waging war on dogs

In some ways, the main problem facing London now is much the same as it was when Paddington Old Cemetery – a Grade II listed cemetery in the north-west of the city – was built in 1855: overcrowding. At the beginning of the 19th century, the capital suffered from an acute shortage of space bury his dead. The Burial Act, passed in 1852, allowed boroughs to purchase land outside their parish for burials. Three years later, Paddington Old Cemetery was opened in Willesden, a rural area at the time.

In the 1980s it was constructed by Westminster Council and then sold to Brent Council for a total sum of five pounds. It’s not as stunning as nearby Kensal Green cemetery, where notable personalities such as Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Anthony Trollope and William Makepeace Thackeray are buried, but it has several claims to fame.

It is the final resting place of Cuthbert John Ottaway, English football’s first captain, and more recently the author Michael Bondwhose understated tombstone is engraved with the title of the first chapter in the first Paddington Bear book“Please take care of this bear.” It was reportedly the inspiration behind Zadie Smith’s latest novel, The fraud (and is, I am told, where the author regularly walks her dog.)

Now the cemetery – still peaceful, lush and green – is a sanctuary wedged between the two busy and densely populated London boroughs of Kilburn and Queen’s Park. In parts it has been redefined as a place to celebrate life, rather than just commemorate death, with an area set aside for a wildflower meadow and a corner for beehives.

It is also at capacity. In its 170-year history, the cemetery has been declared ‘full’ several times. Overcrowded cemeteries are a national problem: this month a Law Commission report warned that urban areas are fast running out of burial grounds, and suggested reusing graves to tackle the problem.

At Paddington Old Cemetery, new residents have been buried in disturbing rows along former paths as that was the only vacant space left. However, now it is facing an overpopulation of a different type, namely dogs. Some grave owners and the area’s Labor council claim it is overrun by dogs.