A PENSIONER has been given £100 by Preston Council bosses after cemetery staff were ordered to knock over his wife's gravestone at the town's cemetery.

Maurice Jones was devastated to find his wife's headstone had been flattened when he visited the cemetery, in Miller Lane, Ribbleton, earlier this year.

Initially the former police officer thought vandals were to blame. Around 400 headstones nearby were in the same state.

But he later discovered that the 'vandalism' was the work of council staff, sent to investigate reports of unstable gravestones.

And Mr Jones was told that he would have to pay to have the headstone re-erected by a stonemason.

He said: "The council didn't notify me about what they were doing and I was disgusted by their actions.

"I tend to my wife Pauline's grave weekly and it was only laid in 1992. Others which had been put up years ago were left untouched." Unhappy with the council's decision the distraught widower put his case to Preston Council chiefs and was preparing to take his case to Preston County Court.

In a bid to solve the matter promptly council bosses agreed to offer Mr Jones £50 in full and final settlement, without admission of liability.

They later upped the figure to £100 to limit costs incurred and in full and final settlement without admission of liability.

Caroline Elwood, director of legal, administration, personnel and management services, said: "Unfortunately it is sometimes necessary to lay down headstones for health and safety reasons to protect both staff and visitors to the cemetery.

"Regrettably in Mr James' case, internal procedures were not followed.

"These procedures have now been reviewed and suitably adjusted to avoid a repeat of this happening in the future.

"We regret any distress that Mr James and his family may have experienced."

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