A GRAVE MISTAKE; Mourners left waiting by cemetery blunder.

Byline: LUCY THORNTON

GRIEVING relatives were left waiting in tears after council workers forgot to dig a great-grandmother's grave.

Around 40 mourners had gathered to bury Irene Howlett - but minutes before the cortege was due to to leave for Conisbrough Cemetery, Doncaster, they were given the bad news.

For nearly three hours they waited in the church hall at St. Peter's, Conisbrough, consoling Irene's sobbing husband Bill, 89, while council officials found staff to dig the grave.

Irene, 88, had been married to 8th Army veteran Bill for 68 years.

Bill said: "Losing Irene was bad enough and I wanted everything to go smoothly. My family made all the arrangements and the funeral directors did their job but the council didn't.

"I can't understand why this happened and I feel as if I have let Irene down."

Granddaughter Carol O'Neill, 47, said:" They were a devoted couple and as a family we wanted to do everything we could to make the funeral go smoothly "It was not the way we wanted to say goodbye."

Local funeral directors Turners handled the arrangements and Doncaster Council was informed but forgot to prepare the grave.

Funeral director Clive Kirk, whose staff discovered the blunder, said: "That sort of thing just should not happen."

A Doncaster council spokesman said: "Although mistakes like this are very rare and we realise we cannot rectify this we are sending the family flowers and a letter of apology."

CAPTION(S):

DAUGHTER Carol O'Neill DEVOTED Irene with Bill and, right, Carol at the grave