A council has apologised to a widow left “absolutely heartbroken” after she found her husband’s grave was dug up by mistake.
Jenny Thurlow, 74, discovered her late husband Peter’s grave in Driffield Cemetery, East Yorkshire, had been unearthed in a burial plot mix-up.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council and undertaker apologised to Mrs Thurlow in what they branded a “miscommunication”.
“When we got there and saw what it was like, well I was crying. I just couldn’t get it out of my head, I was just so upset,” Mrs Thurlow told BBC News.
“You can’t describe really what it felt like because it was awful. Basically, it’s on the mind all the time now,” she added.
Mrs Thurlow said her mother-in-law died in November and was to be buried in the same grave as her father-in-law.
However, due to a mix-up with plot numbers, the adjoining grave, containing her late husband Peter, was dug up instead.
An East Riding of Yorkshire Council spokesperson told The Independent: “Since this unfortunate situation was brought to light, we have been in close contact with the family and have apologised.
“We are still investigating but there seems to have been a miscommunication between the family, the funeral directors and the council over which grave was to be reopened and used for this burial, as the family owns two plots next door to each other at Driffield Cemetery.
“Thanks to due diligence checks by all concerned, the mistake was quickly picked up and rectified within 24 hours and the funeral ceremony was able to go ahead as planned in December.”
A spokesperson for the undertaker, Henry Naylor Funeral Directors, said: “We are deeply sorry for the distress caused to Mrs Thurlow and her family. Our team followed all necessary procedures and carried out arrangements in line with our client’s instructions.
“Unfortunately, due to an administrative error in the council’s records, the wrong grave was initially prepared. Our team identified the issue while on-site and promptly reported it to the council, who acted swiftly to resolve the situation.”
In November last year, a council came under fire after mini-diggers and heavy machinery were caught driving over people’s graves.
In one photo, track marks could be seen having crossed over a fenced area of a grave at Coney Hill Cemetery and Crematorium, Gloucester, marked with gravel and a black headstone.
Councillor Alastair Chambers, who represents a nearby ward, said he was “appalled” to discover wooden crosses marking people’s graves had been “crushed”.
