A BROTHER and sister whose mother was buried seven weeks ago in Wilton cemetery were horrified to discover a mountain of rubble dumped all over her grave when they came to visit.

Alan and Margaret Hutchins made the discovery on Tuesday night after driving 40 miles from Newbury to lay a plaque on the grave.

Alan said: “I thought it was some sort of sick joke, I thought she’s been exhumed.

“It’s disrespectful and disgusting – I couldn’t believe it.

“We came here and saw they had dug another plot but it was only as we got closer that we saw it was next to our mum’s, that they had put tarpaulin on her grave and piled all the clay and chalk on top.

“They probably think because we live miles away, they can get away with it.

“I’m so upset and sickened by it – I suppose they have to do this in places if space is tight, but here there’s no excuse.”

Janet Hutchins, who was born in Wilton, moved to Berkshire after marrying a farmer from Newbury.

Margaret said: “She always wanted to come home — this is where she belonged. Her parents are buried here, her sister lives in Bishopstone.

“She was a Wiltshire girl born and bred. She got married at St Mary and St Nicholas Church and that’s where we had her funeral service on May 19 with her wake at the Greyhound pub. It was a lovely ceremony – she had a really traditional service. I feel I’ve let her down.

“I don’t know what we’ve done to deserve this. I can’t get my head around it. What are these people thinking? How would they feel? Graves should be sacred.”

The family, who have visited the cemetery several times over the last few weeks, were so upset when they saw what had happened that they went straight to the town council where a meeting was taking place.

“I interrupted the meeting, I didn’t mean to cause trouble but I was so shocked,” Alan said. “We couldn’t have asked for a better service in organising everything for her funeral and it’s such a lovely cemetery but the way I feel now, I don’t want to come back.”

Speaking to the family, town councillor Charlotte Blackman said: “The matter will be taken up with the gravedigger first thing in the morning. This hasn’t happened before, we are as horrified as you.”