ANOTHER family has told of the ‘fiasco’ caused when a loved one’s grave had not been dug in time for her funeral.

Horrified family and friends of Gladys Davis were left stunned when they were told that her burial plot had not been excavated – moments before the service was due to take place.

The revelation comes the same day as the rescheduled funeral for a great-grandmother from Southampton, Margaret Higginbottom, is due to take place.

Her funeral was also postponed at the last minute, due to no grave being dug in time for the ceremony.

The families of both women used the same firm of funeral directors – Cooperative Funeralcare.

Mrs Davis, who died last month at the age of 79 following a battle with cancer, was due to be laid to rest at All Hallows Church in Whitchurch when bosses from the company informed relatives of the problem.

Distraught The distraught mourners, including Gladys’ daughter and full-time carer Anita Smith, were then told they would have to attend the wake first and return to the cemetery later that day for the burial to finally take place.

Anita, 48, said: “We had family come down from Wales and they couldn’t wait around because they had to get back to their various commitments.

“It was just a horrific day, we were really let down.

“After our mum deteriorated that was our one day for friends and family to say goodbye and we just feel it was all a bit of a fiasco.

“We felt as her children we failed to give her the send off she deserved.”

Anita added that the family were left feeling “insulted” when the undertakers offered her compensation – to the tune of just £150.

She said: “You employ these companies to take some of the pressure. They say they offer a professional service, but we found it wasn’t professional at all.

“They did say that they were willing to waive the gravedigger’s fee, and give us £150 as a goodwill gesture.

“I thought that was a bit of an insult, the bottom line is they ruined my mother’s funeral.”

A spokesperson from the Southern Cooperative Funeralcare said: “Care of the deceased and their family is of the utmost importance to us.

“Colleagues at our London Street branch in Andover had booked and confirmed arrangements with an independent gravedigger for this funeral; regrettably the grave was not prepared as arranged.

Investigation “As soon as this was realised on the day of the funeral, we immediately arranged for another gravedigger; consequently the funeral was delayed but was able to go ahead within two hours.

“We have investigated how this unfortunate and distressing incident occurred and measures are in place to prevent this from happening again.

“We are liaising with the family; our thoughts are with them and friends of the deceased at this difficult time.”

Meanwhile, the rearranged funeral for Margaret Higginbottom will take place today, a week later than planned. She was due to be buried last Friday at South Stoneham Cemetery in Southampton following a service at St Edmunds Church in the city.