A grieving son jumped into his mum's grave after her coffin was accidentally dropped head first into the ground during her burial.
Darren Clarke was attending the funeral of his mum Doris Lonsdale at Stapenhill Cemetery, Burton-upon-Trent, but couldn't bear to watch as her coffin was being lowered into the ground.
But as he turned away he heard gasps from the other mourners, and looked to see that her coffin had fallen into the grave, StaffordshireLive reports.
Grieving Mr Clarke jumped into the grave to make sure no damage had been done to the coffin. He said: "They were carrying her coffin to the grave at waist height. I couldn't watch so I faced the tree about three metres away. Then I heard a gasp. I turned round to see and my sister say they'd dropped my mum.
I ran over and jumped in the grave. I lifted it right and got her back out. I am just grateful it didn't open."
Murray's Funeral Directors, which conducted the burial, said one end of the coffin accidentally fell in the grave. The firm has since apologised and offered compensation to the family.
But Mr Clarke added: "It is not about money. What will they do to make sure this doesn't happen again to someone else?"
David and Sue Barke, of Murray's, told Staffordshire Live: "Murray’s Funeral Directors acknowledges that there was an accident in December while a coffin was being lowered into a grave, when one end of the coffin fell in.
"The situation was resolved promptly, and the burial continued in a dignified manner. Murray’s acknowledges the obvious upset this caused family and bystanders and has apologised both personally and in writing.
“Nothing like this has ever happened before in the 21 years that we have been serving the community in Burton and we are naturally extremely upset for the family.
"As a company we are proud of the excellent reputation, for the quality of service we provide and always act with the aim of helping families through the distressing time of a bereavement, as sensitively and professionally as possible."
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