Devastated family in tears after huge pile of rubble is dumped on top of mother's grave

A FAMILY were left devastated when they visited a relative’s grave on Mother’s Day - and found a huge pile of rubble dumped on top of it.

Loretta Perminas next to grave covered in rubbleSWNS

Loretta Perminas found her mother's burial spot had been covered in a huge mountain of rubble

Loretta Perminas took her two children and three of her grandchildren to see her mum Jadvyga’s resting place at Carlton Cemetery in Nottingham.

The 54-year-old had left items, including an angel ornament and flowers, next to a name plaque - but discovered them all tossed to the side.

The local council has now apologised to the family for any distress caused, but said that when it is digging new graves workers sometimes have to put soil on the adjacent plot for a short time.

Ms Perminas, of Carlton, said: “It’s just heartbreaking.

"We didn’t even have anywhere to put the flowers.

“To cover up someone’s grave with a pile of rubble is so disrespectful - I couldn’t believe it.

“We wanted to say our prayers on Mother’s Day but we couldn’t.

"My grandchildren had written a prayer.

“How do you explain that their great-grandma’s grave isn’t there because it’s just a pile of rubble?

"I couldn’t get to sleep the next night because I was just so devastated.” 

Grave before SWNS

Jadvyga Perminas' grave before the rubble was dumped

Jadvyga died in January last year, aged 89. The family have been saving up for a headstone but had placed a memorial plaque, vases and a Holy Mary ornament, which had been blessed by the Pope in Rome, on the grave.

Grandmother-of-five Ms Perminas visited the grave last Wednesday to leave flowers and the angel ornament.

When she returned with her family on Sunday, she found another grave had been dug about six inches away, with soil and rocks dumped on her mum’s resting place.

The family bought three plots so other members could eventually be buried alongside Jadvyga, but they believe the new grave encroaches on their land.

Ms Perminas, a jewellery dealer, said: “We can’t afford a marble memorial but it’s irrelevant because it’s still my mum’s grave.

“I go to see it regularly and it was okay on Wednesday.

“Everything I had left there was chucked to the side like it didn’t matter.

"She loved the Holy Mary ornament and it cost hundreds of pounds.

“The plot belongs to us and they have no right to do that.”

Ms Perminas’s son Adrian, a lorry driver, described the incident as “absolutely disgusting”.

Close up of rubble on top of graveSWNS

The grave was in Carlton Cemetery, Nottingham

The 30-year-old, who also lives in Carlton, said: “I was in disbelief.

"We nearly walked past it but then it dawned on us that it was our plot that had the rubble piled on it.

“It can’t have been an accident because they’ve had to actually move all the stuff, and it’s not like there was nowhere else to put the muck.

“Either way, there shouldn’t be a grave being dug so close.

"It’s blood-curdling to think they could have disturbed my grandmother’s grave.” 

Gedling Borough Council, which runs the cemetery, has apologised to the family.

Peter Barnes, portfolio holder for the environment, said: “We are really sorry for any distress experienced by the Perminas family.

“Carlton Cemetery is a working cemetery, which means that graves are being dug out and prepared for new burials all the time.

“In this case, a grave was being prepared adjacent to the grave of the Perminas family and, as a result, earth was placed on the adjacent grave, pending the new burial.

“Given the close proximity between graves, this practice is often unavoidable but we always remove any earth that is left on adjacent graves as quickly as possible.

“We also ensure that any family items that are removed as part of the preparation for a new grave are carefully returned to where they came from.” 

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