Ormesby and Scratby council attacks claims of grave error

For it to dig a second in the wrong spot starts to look a little like carelessness.

Ormesby and Scratby Parish Council has admitted a second grave error at Ormesby St Margaret graveyard, which it runs.

The council said that a plot was dug in the wrong place, taking up a space that had already been reserved by a still-living villager.

Unlike on the previous occasion, however, the situation has been resolved without the need for an exhumation.

Ormesby St Margaret. (Image: Denise Bradley)

A similar incident, in 2022, led to a man's body being dug up 13 days after his funeral and reburied elsewhere due to a blunder which saw him interred in the wrong plot.

The latest mistake was revealed after an anonymous Facebook user, calling themselves a 'whistleblower', posted details about it in online community groups.

This led to a flurry of rumours spreading on social media, prompting the council to insist it had "no intention of digging up bodies" - this time around.

Satirical posts have appeared on an Ormesby village group on Facebook (Image: Facebook)

It said it had resolved the situation by explaining it to the person who had booked the plot which will now be occupied by someone else.

But the council has still been the target of online satire.

One post said: "You pay once, we bury you twice."

Another likened the situation to a 'Carry On' movie.

GRAVE ERROR?

Chris Batten, clerk for the council, said the correct procedures had been followed, and blamed a mistake by a gravedigger for the "incorrect alignment" of the plot.

This has meant there is not enough space for an adjacent plot anymore, which had already been reserved by a member of the village.

He said: "Unfortunately the grave was incorrectly dug.

"We have asked the person affected if they are happy to move their plot and they said they were happy to do that."

The council has since given back his reservation fee as an apology and has informed the undertaker so that they are aware of the mistake.

Chris Batten, clerk for Ormesby and Scratby Parish Council (Image: Newsquest)

'NOT TRUE'

The authority has been stung by the online criticism.

Mr Batten said the council was seeking to take action against those spreading "fabricated rumours".

The posts have appeared on several community groups on Facebook.

The entrance to St Margaret Church in Ormesby (Image: Newsquest)

However, the council has singled out a former councillor for the brunt of its criticism. 

One Ormesby Facebook group is administrated by Justin Rundle, a Great Yarmouth Borough Councillor and former parish councillor, who left the village council last year, due to a "toxic environment" among members.

He quit following previous turmoil at the council, which resulted in several councillors leaving due to complaints about the behaviour of other members.

Ormesby St Margaret church (Image: Newsquest)

The page is run as an open group, in which villagers are welcome to post and make comments as they wish. 

But the parish council have complained and asked for the posts to be removed, and they have since disappeared.

Mr Batten said: "As a parish council we are extremely frustrated that anonymous posts are being fabricated and spreading inappropriate rumours.

"We are equally concerned the page is being run by a councillor.

"As a result of that, we wrote letters asking for these posts to be removed as they are totally fictitious.

"People will take it as read and there will be people going around the parish thinking we are digging up dead bodies.

"We will not defend ourselves on Facebook but are taking appropriate action against those responsible."

The disturbed earth showing the plot where a man's body was removed after being buried in the wrong plot (Image: Newsquest)

LESSONS LEARNED?

Ormesby and Scratby Parish Council had hoped to move on from its previous burial mistake.

This occurred in 2022 after Barry Halksworth was buried in the wrong plot, resulting in the council later having to rebury the body.

Following the incident, blamed on "human error", Mr Batten said the council had undertaken an independent review to "prevent similar incidents through the implementation of additional checks and balances."

Christine Lee, a former chairman of the council who quit her role in 2021, believes the council should have been more transparent about the mistake earlier on to avoid these rumours circulating.

"We were told this would not happen again but it has. Rather than admitting the mistake and letting people understand what has happened, they have not been open about it."