THE family of a boy who died playing rounders have lost their fight to build a Bart Simpson memorial statue on his grave.

Charlie Morettes died aged eight, from Sudden Adult Death Syndrome while playing rounders at Sutton-at-Hone Primary School in May last year.

Mum, Allison and stepfather Tony Spalding planned to add the statue to their son Charlie's grave in the churchyard of St John the Baptist Church, Sutton-at-Hone.

Charlie's parents wanted to put up a 21in granite model of Bart Simpson in memory of their son because Charlie was a big fan of the popular American cartoon series, The Simpsons.

But permission to put up the headstone was needed from Sutton-at-Hone and Hawley Parish Council, which owns the graveyard.

The parish council originally rejected the idea, but at a meeting of the parish council on April 17, the members voted five to one in favour of it, subject to public consultation.

During the two week consultation three written objections to the statue were submitted and the plans were turned down at a meeting on Thursday (June 19) by four councillor votes to three.

Now the council will ask the Spaldings to consider instead a plaque of the cartoon character attached to the tombstone.