Sefton Parish Church in Liverpool had to apologise after a couple lay buried in a grave reserved for somebody else for over a decade before they had to be exhumed, causing heartache for their family
The remains of a couple had to be dug up after family were told the church forgot it had already sold their plot to someone else, a document reveals.
David and Sheila Shaw were both buried in a grave at Sefton Parish Church near Liverpool following their deaths in 2012. But unbeknownst to their grieving family, the plot where they were laid to rest had in fact been reserved for the family of neighbouring plot George Bancroft, who was buried in 1977.
The catastrophic error came to light after Mr Bancroft’s terminally-ill daughter asked to be buried alongside him, resulting in the Shaws having to be exhumed and reburied. The couple’s daughters have now blasted the church over the “egregious” error, which was allowed to happen after a lack of any marker to show the area was designated for others.
Carol Smith and Julie Tighe, the couple’s daughters, said they were “extremely unhappy” over the plan. The two were contacted by the Rev Ali Chesworth once the error was realised, a consistory court in the Diocese of Liverpool heard, in a judgement to settle proposals for the two families to share the plot.
Chancellor of the diocese, Mr Justice Graham Wood, said in his judgement that a proposal for the Shaws to share the grave with Mr Bancroft’s daughter would set an “inauspicious” precedent, The Telegraph reports.
“One of the reasons which may well have grounded their unhappiness … was an understanding that despite an assurance provided by the vicar that no steps had been taken to interfere with the grave, they noticed that part of the surface had been disturbed and the grave ‘partially dug up’,” he said.
“In fact, the evidence from the vicar is that steps had been taken by a specialist grave digger to identify the precise location of the caskets in relation to the surface of the grave.” He dismissed the proposals for sharing the plot, saying it would be an “inauspicious legacy for future generations”.
Sefton Parish Church meanwhile has apologised over the “mistakes made”, confirming Mr and Mrs Shaw had since been reburied at an alternative plot after permission was granted for the exhumation. A spokesman said: “Sefton Parish Church recognises the mistakes made in the past when dealing with the ashes of Mr and Mrs Shaw.
“This was caused through improper administration of the graveyard in the past. We have learnt from this and put new systems in place to make sure this doesn’t happen again.
“We are deeply sorry for this and the upset that this caused. We have worked with all the relevant authorities to sort this matter out as sensitively as possible. This has involved the proper exhumation and reburial of their remains in the graveyard.
“We know this has been painful for all involved but Mr and Mrs Shaw’s remains have been carefully reburied in a permanent plot where the family can visit their loved ones in peace.”
