Apology to widow after wrong grave dug up

An undertaker and a council have apologised to a woman after her husband's grave was dug up by mistake.

Jenny Thurlow, 74, went to Driffield Cemetery, in East Yorkshire, after Christmas to find that it had been opened.

She said she was "absolutely heartbroken".

A spokesperson for East Riding of Yorkshire Council said: "We have been in close contact with the family and have apologised".

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.

"When we got there and saw what it was like, well I was crying," Mrs Thurlow said.

She added: "I just couldn't get it out of my head, I was just so upset.

"You can't describe really what it felt like because it was awful.

"Basically, it's on the mind all the time now."

A council spokesperson said: "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 picked up and rectified before the funeral took place in December, so the correct plot was used and the ceremony was able to go ahead as planned without any issues."

A spokesperson for the undertaker said: "We are deeply sorry for any distress caused to Ms Thurlow and her family.

"Our team at Henry Naylor Funeral Directors followed all necessary procedures and carried out arrangements in line with our client's instructions."

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