A BRADFORD gravedigger has spoke of the heartache of having to bury at least 20 friends during the pandemic, including a former Lord Mayor on Christmas Day.

Graham Swain won the Covid Business Star Award at the Community Stars Awards last Wednesday.

There were 2,121 votes in the category in total, with Mr Swain receiving 1,482 of those.

It was most-responded to category and the winner got the most votes of all those nominated across the evening.

The other finalists were, Phylecia Sunderland and British India Radio Team.

Mr Swain said on receiving the award: "It’s a great award to win, obviously I’m delighted.

“But this is all about the community really.”

Gravediggers across Bradford were put under immense pressure during the Covid-19 pandemic.

It was a ferocious storm of more bodies being presented to the team as the death toll rose, but restrictions being put in place on how many people could say goodbye to their loved ones.

Mr Swain said: "“People who’ve died, sometimes they’ve only been allowed 10 people, 10 family members.

“It’s very difficult to send other family members away.

“Then it upped it to 20, then up to 30, but 30 is not enough when say the lady has had 15 children.

“How do you decide who’s going to stay and who’s going to go?”

At the peak of the pandemic, Mr Swain and his team were conducting 100 burials a month.

A person who nominated Mr Swain said: “The Covid emergency created unprecedented demands on Graham and his team.

"At one stage cremation, which is inconsistent to the beliefs of Islam, was considered to be the only viable option.

"Graham and his team responded to the challenges magnificently, ensuring that Covid and non-Covid deaths were dealt with sensitivity and in a timely

manner."

One of the toughest moments for Mr Swain was when he had to bury his friend and former Lord Mayor of Bradford, Abid Hussain, on Christmas Day.

Mr Hussain held the post from 2017-18 and died of Covid-19 on Christmas Eve.

Mr Swain, who has buried more than 500 people over many years while working seven days a week, admitted Mr Hussain was not the only friend he had to bury during the pandemic.

He said: “Abid wasn’t the only friend, I must have buried at least 20 people who I really knew a lot.

“It’s so difficult.

“Everybody who was working there was just so exhausted over the years.

“Because it didn’t just happen for a week or two, it happened for months and months and months.”

The death toll may have decelerated, but Mr Swain revealed there were still workers in the cemetery burying people the night of the awards.

It has been a tumultuous time for gravediggers and Mr Swain, but he remains proud of his city and how it responded to the pandemic.

He said: “Bradford is Bradford, it’s very cultural, we’re a very diverse city.

“We need to win the City of Culture.”