A GREAT-grandmother’s funeral had to be abandoned because her grave had not been dug.

Horrified family and friends of Margaret Higginbottom broke down in tears when they arrived at the cemetery after a church service to find her plot had not been prepared.

Last night the funeral directors and council chiefs both launched investigations to find out what had gone wrong.

Margaret was expected to be laid to rest next to her late husband at a Southampton graveyard.

Daily Echo:

Margaret Higginbottom

But when the hearse pulled up at South Stoneham Cemetery, mourners discovered her plot was unprepared for her burial.

Today her coffin remains in a chapel of rest while her distraught family wait for the go-ahead for the ceremony to reconvene this week.

Last night undertaker bosses at Cooperative Funeralcare said they have launched an investigation into the incident and apologised to the family.

Southampton City Council has also launched a probe to determine who was at fault.

Her son, Dave Higginbottom, said: “It’s disgusting. Words just can’t comprehend how we feel. The worst thing is that even though it is not our fault we feel like we have failed our mum.

“We feel like we have let her down because we haven’t been able to lay her to rest.”

Mrs Higginbottom, 71, from Castle Street, died on September 2 after a long battle with cancer.

The retired cleaner’s wish was to be buried next to late husband Frederick, who died in 2009 aged 79.

Staff at Cooperative’s Butts Road office prepared paperwork to send to Southampton City Council while Frederick’s headstone was removed in preparation for the burial.

But when the funeral procession arrived at the cemetery on Friday afternoon the grave remained undug.

Dave, 47, from Sholing, who had arrived with family following his mother’s memorial service at St Edmond’s Catholic Church in The Avenue, said: “We were sitting there in the driveway and everyone was in tears. We’ve been grieving for three weeks and gone through the whole church service and now this.

“They knew the grave was ready to be dug – they should have checked the day before.”

Daily Echo:

They had no choice but to continue with her wake at The Master Builder pub in West End.

Funeral director bosses held an emergency meeting with the family on Saturday.

But some members of Margaret’s family have had to return home overseas before a follow-up ceremony planned for Friday.

A Cooperative spokesman apologised to the family and said: “Our records show that the necessary paperwork was submitted to ensure that the grave was prepared for the funeral. However we are investigating why this did not happen.”

City council leader Cllr Simon Letts also promised an investigation.

The Higginbottom’s ordeal came just a day after the Daily Echo revealed a Hampshire family had received thousands of pounds in compensation after claiming the body of Army veteran Rodney Latter was damaged by Waterside Funeral Home in Hythe.

They claimed they could only identify the grandfather by his distinctive tattoo.