Family's horror after a widow whose dying wish was to be reunited with her husband was buried in the wrong grave following a council mix-up

A family has been left distressed after a widow whose dying wish was to be reunited with her husband was buried in the wrong grave following a council blunder.

Myra Taylor had longed to be buried with her partner Ike, who died 32 years ago, in a double plot she had bought at Bourne Cemetery, in Lincolnshire.

But instead of being laid to rest with her beloved partner of 41 years, Myra was interred in the grave next to it following her death on August 1.

It was later discovered she had been wrongly buried in the neighbouring plot, which had been earmarked for Myra's estranged son, who is still alive.

Her heartbroken family are now fighting to have her body exhumed so it can be moved to the right place - but need special permission from the Ministry of Justice.

Myra's funeral was held at the end of August at Bourne Methodist Church with a burial afterwards at nearby South Road cemetery.

While at the burial, her niece Sandra Wilson first suspected something was wrong after noticing Ike's headstone was still at the graveside.

Myra, who was 91 when she died, had made requests for it to be taken away so her name could be added.

Retired nurse Sandra, 58, from Bourne, said: 'I said to relatives 'she is in the wrong grave'.

'It was raining and everyone was already very distressed so told me not to worry.

'I was so determined it was the wrong grave I got my husband to take me to the cemetery the next morning.

'I was heartbroken. I just sobbed. Nobody has given an explanation to us since as to how this has happened.'

Sandra said when Myra's health deteriorated last Christmas she began having nightmares about not being buried with her husband.

So she suggested taking out a pre-payment plan with funeral directors setting out her wishes with the aim of putting her worried aunt's mind at ease.

Sandra added: 'I was the only person left to honour her wishes and I had promised her if we did a funeral plan, it would safeguard her so this didn't happen.

'It was devastating. I thought we had taken all possible steps to make sure her dying wishes could be met.

'She was having nightmares about not being buried next to her husband, so I wanted to reassure her as much as I could.

'That's the most awful part about it all, that she had nightmares about this happening.'

For the past four months, Sandra has had 'sleepless nights' and has branded the ordeal 'horrendous'.

She added: 'She was a very strong lady but she would be heartbroken if she knew what had happened. Her one wish was to be laid to rest with her husband.'

Sandra contacted Bourne Town Council, which is in charge of the cemetery, requesting Myra be moved to the correct grave.

But as she was already buried, permission is needed from the Ministry of Justice to exhume the body, which Bourne Town Council is still waiting on.

The couple, who lived together in Bourne, married in August 1950 when Ike was 21 and Myra was 18. Ike died of cancer in November 1991, aged 62.

Myra's last job was working in a dry cleaners while Ike was a digger driver.

Sandra added: 'They were never anywhere without each other.

'Even though she had been widowed such a long time, she just wanted to be reunited with her husband.'

Sandra said she understands 'accidents happen' but has issued a warning to other grieving families.

She said: 'On the day before, check to make sure it is the right grave.

'It is now taking an awful lot of time to get permission to move her. The council have been dragging their feet and we just want the matter resolved.

'If we can't, I don't know what I will do as I don't want to leave her where she is.

'We don't know how it happened, I think somebody has just seen the name Taylor in the book and thought that grave is near enough.

'At first they couldn't see what the problem was as she had been buried nearby - but that is not what my aunt requested.'

Bourne Town Council clerk Ian Sismey has written to the Ministry of Justice asking for permission to move Myra's body and is hoping for an answer by Christmas.

He added: 'We will do whatever we can to resolve this.'

The Ministry of Justice said the procedure is to seek permission from the grave owner before a license can be granted.

It comes after a family from Bishop Auckland were left heartbroken after discovering they had been visiting the wrong grave of a relative for more than 43 years last year.