A son has told of his horror when he jumped into his mum's grave because her coffin had been dropped head first when being lowered down.
Loved ones gasped when Doris Lonsdale's coffin was dropped in an event funeral directors said had never happened in the 21 years they have operated.
Her son Darren Clarke, who was so upset, couldn't watch as her coffin was lowered into the ground, Staffordshire Live reports.
Hearing gasps, he saw that her coffin had fallen into the grave.
So he leapt into the grave in order to life the coffin back up.
Funeral directors Murray's has apologised for the incident and paid compensation to the family.
But Mr Clarke said he has been left suffering flashbacks and has since been unable to return to her graveside.
Mr Clarke 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."
Mrs Lonsdale was buried on Tuesday, December 21. The service took place at Elim Pentecostal Church before the interment at Stapenhill. She died at the age of 75.
Bosses from Murray's Funeral Directors said one end of the coffin accidentally fell in the grave.
But Mr Clarke said he was still suffering as a consequence of the incident.
He said: "I haven't been back to the cemetery. I wake up sweating. We haven't been able to grieve. It is horrible.
"I keep replaying it. I feel like I let my mum down. It was undignified for my mum. This was on my watch."
The family later complained to the firm and in a letter sent to them on behalf of Murray's solicitor, the firm said it had accepted the incident had occurred and an in-person meeting and apology had taken place.
Mr Clarke added: "It is not about money. I was off work and on sleeping tablets.
"What will they do to make sure this doesn't happen again to someone else?"
David and Sue Barke, of Murray's, said: "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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