A grieving mum is demanding that Council cemetery bosses repair her toddler daughter's grave after claiming it was wrecked when work was carried out to move headstones.

Little Shannon Broadley was just 22 months old when she died from a cancerous tumour at the bottom of her spine in May 2001. Her granddad, security manager Alan Welsh, lovingly built a walled garden around her grave in Nab Wood cemetery, with pots of flowers, a vase and a statue of an angel, for the second anniversary of the brave little girl's death.

But when the family visited Shannon's resting place on Easter Sunday they found her grave was in ruins.

Mr Welsh, 47, of Gloucester Avenue, Bradford Moor, claimed the border he had created had been smashed, the headstone had been moved on to two pieces of brick, the original base was on its side, flowers had been trampled and two flower pots, the vase and statue had been broken. Shannon's mother Amanda, 22, of Morley Avenue, Bradford Moor, said she was absolutely devastated by the discovery and burst into tears. "It was a total mess," she said. "It looked like a building site. Ornaments were smashed and plants trampled - vandals could not have done a better job. Before this it had looked lovely, like her own little garden. We put a little wall up round a border with tulips in."

Miss Welsh said she agreed to allow Shannon's headstone to be moved after being told that the mother of a baby buried next to her had complained the memorial garden had intruded on her grave and was deeply distressed.

She added: "I didn't mean to cause anyone distress so I agreed with the registrar to allow her headstone to be moved back. It should be put back how it was and they should pay for any damage caused. It is Shannon's resting place and it shouldn't be tampered with and destroyed. An apology would be nice, too."

Mr Welsh said: "The whole family was distraught. To lose a child is bad enough, but for somebody then to desecrate the grave is unforgivable. The things that were smashed were of sentimental value and are irreplaceable. I spoke to the registrar and he said they started the work but because of the Easter holidays they couldn't finish it. I am taking legal advice about it."

But Bradford Council's Bereavement Manager David Congreve said Area Registrar Stephen Connell had written several letters to Miss Welsh since June last year in which it was pointed out the size of the edgings erected on the grave far exceeded what was allowed and encroached on adjoining grave spaces. He said a number of complaints had been received and the family had been asked to reduce the size of the edgings as soon as possible.

It was agreed the headstone from the other grave would be repositioned and Mr Welsh was to contact Aire Valley Memorials stonemasons to do the work on the edgings.

Mr Congreve said Mr Connell had contacted the family in January to tell them the other headstone had been repositioned and Aire Valley Memorials would re-align Shannon's memorial in the near future.

He added: "He explained this work would include some disturbance to the border area. He suggested Miss Welsh should liaise with the firm to make any arrangements so the matter could be satisfactorily concluded."