MINEHEAD Town Council chairman Meigan Lyons has apologised after a widower went to pay his respects to his late wife, only to find her grave buried beneath four feet of loose earth.

Larry Hill, of Silvermead, Minehead, visits the grave of his late wife, Rosie, every other day, and made a special effort to take flowers to Minehead cemetery on Tuesday - the seven month anniversary of her death.

His daughter Linda Case said: "He got there to find someone had dug another grave next to my mum and literally covered her grave with four feet of earth.

"They took the flowers off her grave and put them behind another grave. My dad was so upset about it."

She said there was no reason for the earth to be piled onto Mrs Hill's grave as there was plenty of space on the other side of the one that had just been dug.

Mrs Case added: "It's OK for people to say it's OK to do it because she's gone, but she's still our mum.

"We won't even lean on the grave if we go up because it's disrespectful. Then we go up and find this."

Her sister, Pat Phippen, said she was disgusted by the actions of the grave diggers and was angry that her father had been put through more emotional turmoil, just days before his 80th birthday tomorrow (Saturday).

She told the Free Press: "I really haven't been sleeping very well I've been so upset about it. I wonder how many other people they have done this to.

"I think Dad deserves an apology. We respect Mum's grave so why can't they?"

The cemetery is operated and maintained by Minehead Town Council, and chairman Mrs Lyons said she would make sure such an incident did not happen again.

She said: "I can only apologise to the family. It is a very unfortunate incident and we will have to tell the men to be more sensitive. I will look into this to try and find out exactly what happened."