A FAMILY are heartbroken after discovering a huge mound of mud has been dumped on the grave of a loved-one.

Rebecca Luff, 20, discovered vases had been removed from her great-grandparents’ plots and strewn across the grass when she went to pay her respects at Basildon Cemetery, off Church Road, Bowers Gifford.

Miss Luff and her nan Mary Simes, 63, both from Dartford, make an annual trip during the festive season to clean the headstones belonging to Mary and Edward Buckley and lay flowers.

Mr Buckley died in 1997 and his wife joined him at the cemetery three years ago.

Basildon Council, which runs the cemetery, has confirmed it is likely workers piled the soil up on their grave while a neighbouring plot was being dug up.

Miss Luff said: “As soon as I saw the hug pile of mud I went absolutely mental and my gran just broke down in tears. It’s just horrific because their bodies are buried there and they deserve to be treated with respect.

“A cemetery is somewhere you go to mourn and grieve and mark big occasions like Christmas.

“We just had to do the best job we could sprucing up the grave and work around the huge pile of mud, but it completely ruined our visit.”

The council insists the plot has since been returned to its original state.

Kevin Blake, councillor for leisure and arts, said: “We have received no complaints regarding the grave of Mary and Edward Buckley, however it is common practice in busy cemeteries for soil to be stored on adjacent graves temporarily where we are reopening existing graves.

“The graves are always protected during this process and once the soil is removed the cemetery officer inspects it to ensure it has been returned to its original state. We apologise for any inconvenience or distress caused but unfortunately where graves are being reopened we have no other option.”