Family forced to dig up mum and dad's bodies after church 'double books' grave 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.
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.
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.
“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”.
“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.
