Families have hit out at a former mayor and gravestone manufacturer over ‘long delays’ in getting memorials for their loved ones.

Several people have criticised The Stone Shop boss Gordon Newton, including a sister and mother who say they have been left waiting for nearly two years to get a headstone.

In at least two cases, more than £700 deposits were paid to the East Farleigh-based company, it is suggested.

The business was previously responsible for creating a memorial for murdered black teenager Stephen Lawrence.

Mr Newton, who was mayor of Maidstone in the 2023/24 civic year, announced his retirement on June 25.

In the last two years, there have been dozens of negative reviews on the business’s Google reviews page, where it currently has a score of 1.1 out of five.

Last winter, one woman named Rosemary wrote: “Deserves 0 stars, AVOID AT ALL COSTS. Absolutely disgusting service.

“Mr Newton should be ashamed of himself. Taking money from grieving families with the promise to deliver but he does absolutely nothing.

“Paid a deposit one year ago and since then it’s been a game of cat and mouse. Hangs up the phone and never responds to messages. I went to the shop but it’s shut. We want our deposit back.”

Supply teacher Matthew Wood, 63, who lived in Tovil, died in February 2022 from cancer.

His sister Rebekah and 92-year-old mum, from Marden, say they paid an £800 deposit to create a gravestone to put at Barming cemetery but still haven’t received anything and have had problems contacting Mr Newton.

Londoner Rebekah said: “I had to call and call and call and call and each time I would get a different sob story.”

She tracked him down through parish councils, vicars and the council office when Mr Newton was mayor. She met him at his shop last month face to face where she claims he refused to refund the family.

She said: “It’s not just about the money, it’s about stopping this happening to other people. He’s taken money from vulnerable and grieving people and not completed the work.

“My mother is 92 and is still waiting for a gravestone for her son.”

Rebekah claims she was given a “rubbish” excuse about Mr Newton’s stone supplier in Dorset taking a while to get things sent to him.

She said: “This has been immensely stressful and upsetting. He kept saying it would be completed which is why we didn’t go anywhere else but I’ve had enough now.

“It’s absolutely appalling this has happened to myself and other people.”

Siblings Tanya and Russ Palmer, who grew up in Barming, contacted Mr Newton when their mother Christine died in December 2022.

The family wanted her details added to a gravestone they already had made for their father Kenneth, who passed away in 1992.

They say after only hearing from the former councillor sporadically during a 14-month period, which included the pair making a formal request for him to visit them at an event titled “re-installing my parents’ headstone”, the gravestone was completed and returned in March.

Speaking about the situation, Tanya said: “I have never had the displeasure of dealing with such an unprofessional and deeply dispassionate and rude company.”

Fellow angry customer Tracey Brewster wrote a review saying: “Absolutely poor communication, several messages to call back with no return, my mum’s photo wasn’t placed on the memorial when putting in place, it’s been over a year now and still no confirmation on when this is going to happen.

“My dad is brokenhearted. I have given Mr Newton till Friday to respond but that’s more than likely not going to happen. So now will need to go through all this again with another company.”

The latest post on the firm’s social media confirmed: “The Stone Shop has now permanently closed due to retirement.

“Thank you for your support and custom over the past 25 years.”

When contacted by KentOnline about the complaints, Mr Newton said he had retired and passed all business on to the Phoenix Marble and Granite store in Dorset.

He declined to go into detail about unhappy customer comments but said the fact he was doing it on his own and that some people took a while to visit him in the shop, caused delays.

Phoenix Marble and Granite declined to comment on whether they had taken on Mr Gordon’s customers.