'People's remains removed to bury my husband'

A woman has said she wants justice for her dead husband after hundreds of human bones were seen dumped from his burial plot a day after his funeral.

Dawn Cotterell's husand Roger died in 2022 after collapsing while playing football, following complications from a blood clot.

But a day after the funeral at Tipton Cemetery in the West Midlands, a skip of soil littered with bones and even a skull was spotted near the grave. Site operator Sandwell Council said that in preparing for Mr Cotterell's plot, staff had disturbed human remains from paupers' graves, going on to load them into the container.

The authority has apologised, but Mrs Cotterell says her family's distress continues.

"There was a skull and many, many bones," Mrs Cotterell recalled.

"I was just so traumatised, I just couldn't believe what was going on."

While the authority paid for Mr Cotterell's body to be exhumed so his grave could be lined to isolate it from surrounding soil, his widow said it effectively forced the family to endure the pain of a second funeral.

The incident had also left her questioning what dignity had been afforded to those whose bones were disturbed.

A police inquiry confirmed the remains were from unmarked paupers' graves dating back to the early 1960s.

Mrs Cotterell said she was informed there were more than 400 bones removed from her husband's plot.

"It was unbelievable. I just wanted answers from Sandwell Council."

In October 2022, former MP for Dudley North Marco Longhi wrote to a council manager, describing Mrs Cotterell's experience as "outrageous", adding it "fell very short of minimum dignity standards".

The council since told the BBC it was an isolated incident, a mistake, and it had apologised to the family for the distress they suffered.

A spokesperson said: "We are very sorry to hear the family are still experiencing a difficult time.

"Our bereavement services team worked tirelessly to support the family for many months.

"Thankfully, an approach was eventually agreed with the family, to help achieve an outcome aligned to their wishes."

According to Mrs Cotterell, the exhumation raised further issues.

She said that by inserting a vault to contain his body within the plot, more human remains were found.

The BBC has seen a document which names eight people whose remains were disturbed. It said they ranged in age from stillborn to 80, with the "public" - or pauper - burials taking place between 1961 and 1963.

Despite ongoing criticism by the family, the authority said it followed correct procedures after the incident and the Local Government Ombudsman agreed.

A council spokesperson added: "We routinely update and maintain burial records in our cemeteries and crematoria, however, are often reliant on information recorded many decades ago, which was the case in this instance.

"With many of the burials in this area not having any known next of kin, we could not identify anyone at the time to contact who may have been affected."

Mrs Cotterell said the pain of effectively having a second funeral was unbearable.

She said she was equally distraught at the thought that relatives of the paupers may be alive and unaware what had happened.

"We've had around 15 meetings with Sandwell Council and it's almost like they were making up some of the answers on the spot in front of us."

She told BBC Midlands Today she rejected a final compensation offer of about £8,000 because it came with a non-disclosure agreement which she was not prepared to sign.

"They want to keep this quiet but it's not about the money; it's about justice for my husband, it's the last thing I can do for him now.

"I'm on my own and it's dragging me and my mental health down".

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