Family of man buried in wrong grave want apology

The family of a man who was buried in the wrong grave want an official apology from the council.

Sue Rayner-Craig's brother, John Rayner, was buried at Woodlands Crematorium in Scunthorpe, which is run by North Lincolnshire Council, on 10 December 2024.

However, the 59-year-old said her family was then "knocked for six" a month later when they were told by the crematorium the plot Mr Rayner was in had already been bought by someone else and he would need to be reburied elsewhere.

A spokesperson for the council said: "We are working with the families that have been affected."

Mr Rayner's body was exhumed on 13 February and reburied in a new plot, with another family service taking place two days later.

Mrs Rayner-Craig said "nobody should have to go through a funeral twice".

She claims the crematorium tried to cover up the mistake by asking the owner of the plot to choose a different one. Had the owner accepted, she fears she would never have known.

The family said the crematorium had refunded the burial costs and fees, but they have been left upset with how the situation had been handled.

"They basically just said regardless of whether we signed for the exhumation or not, he was trespassing and would be brought up. No compassion, nothing," Mrs Rayner-Craig added.

Mr Rayner's son, Shane, 42, said since January "it's been sleepless nights" and "really upsetting".

The steelworker said: "We buried him once and it's happened again, which it shouldn't have.

"It's alright giving us our money back [for the burial]. But it would be nice to have an apology in writing."

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