Son's heartbreak after Southampton cemetery grave covered by 'skip'

Niall Terrell said his family found a wooden box filled with soil on top of his father's grave on 3 April

A man has described his family's anger and heartbreak after his father's grave was covered by a soil box.

Niall Terrell's family was contacted by Southampton City Council asking them to remove a small picket fence around his father's grave at Hollybrook Cemetery.

However, when his sister visited the site to remove the fence, they found a large wooden "skip" filled with soil covering the grave.

The BBC has approached the authority for comment.

Eddy Terrell died 23 years ago after battling cancer and his son Niall tries to visit his grave once a week

Mr Terrell, a 47-year-old painter and decorator from Southampton, said the authority contacted his family on 2 April, asking for the fence to be removed so labourers could dig a new grave nearby.

After complaining about the soil box, Southampton City Council removed it, but Mr Terrell says items around his father Eddy's grave have been damaged.

He said: "I'm the same age now that my father was when he died, so it's an emotional time.

"We try to keep his grave as nice as we can, we can't afford the massive headstones but it's a way of being with him and talking to him.

Mr Terrell said the grave had been tidy when he visited a week before the soil box was placed on it (left) but the fence and items have since been damaged (right)

"But finding the skip there - we are all very angry. It's a lack of respect, it shouldn't have happened, I don't understand why graves can be covered over at all."

Mr Terrell said the fence surrounding his father's grave had been broken, as well as a memorial slate with a picture of St Mary's Stadium on, created by his friends.

A Southampton City Council spokesperson told the Daily Echo staff had apologised to the family "for any distress caused" and it had updated its policies.