A PAINFUL predicament has been revealed at Bramhope Cemetery with the discovery that some headstones have been incorrectly sited.

A distressed family is now demanding action from Bramhope Parish Council, which runs the cemetery, after finding that a headstone to mark the ashes of their relative had another headstone subsequently placed just two feet away.

The family say the situation is "insensitive and disgraceful."

The parish council says it is looking into the problem and has admitted that the family is not alone.

The chairman, Councillor John Mordy, even found a memorial to his parents was incorrectly placed.

The matter was discussed at the latest meeting of Bramhope Parish Council when the relative of one woman whose ashes are in the cemetery demanded action.

Susanne Freer attended the meeting to express the upset of her family at finding that a headstone for an adjoining plot was a short distance from that of her mother, Pat Oates, who died in 1985.

Mrs Freer said: "There were no problems at all until my sister went there this year. We found there was another headstone in front of it.

"It is insensitive, it is uncaring. Words can't explain how we feel. We can't kneel, we can't get near it.

"It is really disgraceful and I am sure if it was your family, you wouldn't be very happy. It can't stay as it is. In honour to Mum, it can't stay as it is."

Coun Mordy said that he and the current parish clerk Janet Sunderland had spent time looking into the location of plots at the cemetery, and had concluded that the problems stemmed from interments that took place under the administration of the previous parish clerk, the late Barry Rhodes.

Coun Mordy said: "There are clearly problems with a number of ashes plots and it looks as though while the previous clerk was in situ, which goes back to 1981, he wasn't present when interments took place.

"It looks as though a number of these memorials are in the wrong place. I found the memorial to my own parents was in the wrong place. That has now been put right but we do have a problem generally."

Coun Mordy said that the headstone for Mrs Oates appeared to have been placed too far forward, and admitted it was not a completely isolated case.

He said: "I can only say that having had a look at it, part of the problem is that your plot is actually in the wrong place and it is not the only one. Part of the problem is that your plot is about a foot-and-a-half too far forward."

The council resolved to have a sub-committee meeting to discuss the issue, which is set to report at the next meeting.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.