Wingate grave error caused by 'perfect storm' of problems

A "perfect storm" of problems led to a household grieving astatine the incorrect sedate for 17 years, an enquiry has found.

The Bell household found the headstone for their begetter Thomas had been enactment connected the incorrect sedate astatine Holy Trinity successful Wingate, County Durham successful 2005, erstwhile they went to hide his woman Hilda successful June.

A church probe recovered records had been poorly kept.

The study said it could not warrant different historical errors had not been made.

The Venerable Bob Cooper, Archdeacon of Sunderland, said it was a lawsuit of "great sadness" but his recommendations going guardant should guarantee akin problems "do not hap again".

He said a stonemason had fitted the headstone for Thomas Bell successful 2005 but "because of insufficient process and besides mediocre grounds keeping" it was "place connected the incorrect grave".

The Ven Mr Cooper said the vicar astatine the time, who has since died, "did not support records to the grade that would beryllium considered champion practice" portion the notes of the verger, who has besides passed away, were not handed implicit to religion officials astatine the clip of her decease and had since been lost.

He besides said it was "best practice" to spot a marker connected the sedate astatine the clip of burial but "this did not hap here", and idiosyncratic from the religion should person attended the placing of the headstone and "cross-referenced with the sedate records" but that besides did not happen.

He said the wide deficiency of records had been "compounded" by burglars successful the late-1970s who broke successful and burnt religion documents connected the alter.

The Ven Mr Cooper said since being closed and coming nether the attraction of Durham County Council which had "limited resources", definite parts of the churchyard had go "overgrown and the full facet of the graveyard changes twelvemonth by year".

He said: "The word 'a cleanable storm' is utilized each excessively often successful modern parlance, nevertheless connected this juncture it seems peculiarly apt".

He made a fig of recommendations including:

But, helium added, it "cannot beryllium guaranteed that historical cases similar this volition not reoccur due to the fact that determination volition beryllium gaps successful the records for galore reasons successful parishes crossed the Diocese of Durham and further afield".

Durham County Council has been approached for comment.