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Council workers sacked over ‘insensitive’ cemetery TikTok videos

Aisha Rimi
Friday 22 October 2021 18:07 EDT
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(TikTok)

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Two council workers have been sacked over “insensitive and disrespectful” TikTok videos filmed at a cemetery.

Derby City Council suspended the workers in June over the videos recorded at Nottingham Road cemetery. A third person received a final warning.

The videos, viewed thousands of times on the social media platform, showed two men dancing while carrying a coffin and another joking around near an open grave.

The council initially refused to disclose the actions they had taken over the workers, only confirming they had taken “appropriate action” against those involved and citing a contractural “private arrangement” between the council and the employee.

Council leader Chris Poulter felt that the content of the video required the authority’s actions to be made public.

Speak to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he said: "It is important that the public see that we have taken their concerns seriously and dealt with the situation promptly.

“The council has its reputation to think of and has dealt with this matter properly.

"Two workers have been sacked pending any appeals and the third worker has received a final warning."

When the videos first went viral, they were met with anger from residents.

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