Gloucestershire woman ‘happy’ body will be moved from her future grave

A woman who discovered a body had been buried in her future grave is “happy” an exhumation will take place.

Sallyann Anderson paid for a plot beside her parents’ graves in 2018. But when she visited Coney Hill Cemetery and Crematorium in Gloucester on 17 March, the anniversary of her father’s death, she discovered another woman had been buried in her space.

Mrs Anderson has now been told by Gloucester City Council, which owns the cemetery, the body will be moved.

The council did not want to comment on this case but previously apologised to the families of the deceased for a “clerical error” which resulted in bodies being buried in the wrong graves.

Mrs Anderson said she was “shocked” to find her plot had been “freshly dug” with flowers on top when she visited last month.

The authority confirmed that an exhumation will take place, but officials cannot tell Mrs Anderson an exact date as it is “sensitive information”.

“From my point of view, it’s good news, but I do feel very sorry for the other family involved because it’s more upsetting to them than it is to me.

“But this has happened and it has got to be put right,” she added.

Mrs Anderson said she was “chasing” the council to find out what was going on with the plot for several weeks.

“I think the worst thing is not knowing… [the council] really weren’t very good at contacting us” she said.

“We’ve got there in the end but it shouldn’t have taken all this time.”

The other family involved did not wish to comment when approached on behalf of the BBC last week.