by Lynn Cox

lcox@thekmgroup.co.uk

A couple were horrified when they visited a loved one's grave and found it had been dug up to fit someone else's ashes in.

Bungling diggers somehow picked the wrong grave when they dug a hole in the last resting place of Robert Jarman's mother-in-law.

Mr Jarman and his wife Marilyn, of Maximilian Drive in Halling, visited the grave on Remembrance Sunday, to pay their respects and tidy it up.

They couldn't believe their eyes when they arrived to find a hole had been dug for an ashes box and the hole had been covered over with a board advertising tyres for sale for £10 each.

Mr Jarman, who works in demolition, said: "We thought 'what's going on here?'

"When we removed it, we discovered a hole about two and a half foot, had been dug by the grave diggers in preparation for someone's ashes to go onto it.

"We have no idea who was going to be interred into my mother-in-law's resting place, we didn't ask for it to be done and don't know anyone who has died.

"My wife and the rest of my family are horrified to discover this and it may have gone unnoticed if we'd not visited."

The grave is in Aylesford Cemetery in Hall Road which is managed by Aylesford Parish Council, who admitted a "bad mistake" happened but didn't know why it had occurred.

Mr Jarman added: "It makes you wonder how many other people's ashes may have been buried in the wrong grave, it's a question my wife keeps asking."

Aylesford Parish Council clerk, Andrew Flindell said: "A bad mistake has been made.

"I am unable to explain yet how it happened.

"I can say we are introducing procedures to present it happening again."

When asked why an old tyre sale sign had been used to cover up the hole, Mr Flindell would only say: "That's a matter for the council and the family."