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A city council in Derby, England, has suspended workers over TikTok videos filmed in a cemetery, after they documented "insensitive" behavior.
The clips, which have now been deleted, captured various scenes from Nottingham Road Cemetery. In one video, a man can be heard loudly singing while in the graveyard, panning the camera round to a recently dug grave with a casket and flowers.
Other videos show two men dancing while carrying a coffin on their shoulders inside the chapel and what appears to be a Derby City Council truck performing "doughnut" spins in the graveyard's parking lot in the snow.
Another video films a group of individuals walking along the path in the cemetery, with the theme tune to TV series The Walking Dead playing in the background, as white smoke surrounds them.
The videos date back to 2020 and although it was originally unclear, Derby City Council have identified the men as employees after an investigation into their identities.
A council spokesperson said: "Having viewed the footage, we were extremely disappointed to identify three members of our staff.
"We have acted swiftly and suspended them with immediate effect while we carry out a full investigation. No one currently working at the cemetery has been involved in these videos.
"We do not condone this kind of behaviour and we are sorry for the offence caused by these videos, which have now been deleted."
Prior to the investigation, a spokesperson for Derby City Council told Derbyshire Live that the videos were "insensitive and disrespectful" and would "fall far short of the professional standard we expect from our colleagues." Local officials reported the clips to TikTok, it added.
Local councilors have also spoken out against the videos, with Chaddesden councilor Rob Cooper telling Derbyshire Live that the videos "would shock many people who have loved ones buried at Derby City Council-run cemeteries.
"Those buried at Derby's cemeteries, rightly deserve to rest in peace; which all DCC employees should as a matter of course fully understand.
"I'm demanding an immediate and full investigation be launched to find out who the people are involved, when they happened and the exact locations these videos took place."
Similarly,Derwent councilor Tracey Pearce told the outlet she was "very shocked and saddened such behavior may have taken place in our local cemetery.
"The families of all those laid to rest at Nottingham Road Cemetery expect the cemetery to be a place of peace for their departed loved ones.
"I expect and demand answers to know who may have made these videos, why they did them and I'm hoping an immediate investigation by DCC will be launched forthwith."
Update 6/30/21, 03:42 a.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and a statement from Derby City Council.
