Mum furious as debris left on son's grave at Panteg Cemetery

Cheryl Downes, from Thornhill, went to visit the grave of her son Leon - who died in 1992, aged nine - at Panteg Cemetary two weeks ago. But she was shocked to find soil from the grave behind Leon's had spilled over where he is buried.

She asked a member of staff when the grave behind had been dug, and was told it was last September, she said.

The debris was reportedly left on Leon's grave since September. Picture: Cheryl Downes.

“I go up there once or twice a year to weed it and leave flowers on his birthday,” she said. “The mess was absolutely devastating.

“It’s obviously come from the grave behind. That grave was dug and it was thrown on to Leon’s grave.

“They have just filled it in and not noticed. It’s careless.

“They should have put a board up to stop this.”

After complaining to the cemetery, Ms Downes and her husband went to clear the debris from Leon’s grave on Monday, but they found it had already been cleared.

However, the mud had sat on her son’s grave for so long that the concrete appeared to have been discoloured.

The debris has now been cleared, but it appears to have discoloured the stone on Leon's grave. Picture: Cheryl Downes.

“You can see where the dirt that they have shovelled was on my son’s grave,” she said. “You can see the difference on the concrete on Leon’s grave.

“He’s been up there 30 years and I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s sick to do that to a child.

“They cannot be trusted up here. I said I want him moved to the cemetery in Cwmbran.”

Cheryl Downes at her son Leon's grave in Panteg Cemetery in 2014.

Torfaen council is responsible for managing Panteg Cemetery.

A council spokeswoman said: “We are aware of Mrs Downes concerns about her son’s grave and we apologise for any upset that has been caused to Mrs Downes and her family.

“A member of our team has been in contact with Mrs Downes and we are working to rectify the situation.”