A grieving son who feared his parents’ grave would still be waterlogged by Mother’s Day has finally been able to place flowers on the plot.

The grave, which had sunk due to subsidence since November, was lying under two feet of water, but it was filled on Thursday, after we reported Eric Smith’s call for someone to take responsibility for the site.

According to clerk to Leysdown Parish Council Sarah King, although responsibility to maintain the grave lies with Mr Smith, the parish council felt the situation had caused him and his family unnecessary distress.

She said: “It was the more of a personal feeling of the parish council that something should be done. We filled in the grave as we felt the family should not have to go through this sort of distress.

“We will also keep an eye on the grave and carry out any further work should it be needed.”

In last week’s Times Guardian we reported that 54-year-old Mr Smith, of Invicta Road, Minster, was overwhelmed with support from Islanders who even offered to fill the grave themselves since we highlighted his story.

Alice Annie Smith was buried in the graveyard, in the grounds of the former St Clement’s Church, on August 26 last year after dying from pneumonia aged 83. Mr Smith’s father’s ashes are also in his mother’s coffin.

There was no problem with the grave when the family visited it after the funeral but by the end of November the couple found it had dropped. Heavy rain collected and any flowers placed on the grave end up floating.

Confusion over who was responsible for maintaining the graves at Leysdown and Warden Bay left Mr Smith worried that the only option would be to fill it in himself.

But on Thursday he received a call from Leysdown Parish Council offering to fill it in, and by 5.30pm that evening he was able to visit the grave.

He said: “I am so relieved. This is all I wanted and I have now been able to put flowers on my parents’ grave.

“It has been very upsetting but I am so pleased that the grave has been filled. I can now visit with my family.”