IT’S A GRAVE MISTAKE
Council blunder over dad’s burial plot
A dad may have to be buried for a second time after a grave yard blunder.
The error means a family cannot all be laid to rest together — unless an exhumation takes place.
The grave mistake only emerged following the death of 49- year- old Mark Hendren who was laid to rest at Monkton and Prestwick New Cemetery.
His family had bought three adjoining lairs to fulfil their dearest wish they could all be together.
But a plot next to Mark, of Prestwick, has been recently occupied.
The council are now offering the stunned family nearby positions. One mourner said: “Nobody can believe how this happened, it is very upsetting.”
that was their wish. Mark, from Prestwick, was an amputee who only had one leg.
His funeral was on July 29 at Monkton and Prestwick New Cemetery.
Family flowers still adorn the grave, including a bouquet from Mark’s son Kieran, 21.
He could not be contacted this week.
Sources say the council has been in contact with the family to try and find a solution.
One said: “They are claiming Mark was not put in the wrong grave, but we don’t understand why we can no longer get three graves in a row.
“That was very important to the family.
“There only seems to be one other body in the same row. The rest of the graves are unmarked and we don’t know how many have been sold for future use.
“It is a nightmare for all concerned.”
Council bosses have apologised to the grieving family.
A council spokesman said: “We are aware of an error where a family requested to purchase multiple lairs and were only allocated a single lair.
“We apologise for this error and are currently in discussion through the family’s funeral director who is arranging a meeting between all parties to find a satisfactory solution.
“We have investigated and updated our processes as a consequence of this incident to mitigate against this type of error occurring in the future.”