A Chelmsford woman has been left heartbroken by a crematorium mix-up over her husband's ashes.

Elizabeth Flack, 64, of Melbourne, was left unsure as to where the ashes were, and her daughter, Carol Byford, said that the family was devastated.

Mrs Byford said that her father, Frank Flack, had been cremated and that his ashes had been in the plot at Chelmsford Crematorium, Writtle Road, for the past 15 years.

"We had a rose tree and plaque put on the plot," she said. "My mum went to the crematorium with my sister and brother on October 11, the day before Dad's birthday. When they got there, they saw that Dad's plaque was gone and someone else's was there instead."

The family then realised that a man was visiting their plot, believed that it contained his wife's ashes."He was going to pull up Dad's rose tree," said Mrs Byford, also of Melbourne.

"My mum and this man could not even speak to each other as they were both so upset."

On investigation, the family discovered that there had been a mix-up over payment for the lease of the plot.

Mrs Byford's daughter Louise, 21, said that although they had been told by the crematorium that Mr Flack's ashes were in his plot, and that the other woman's had been moved to her family's, they still could not be sure.

Colin Botfield, Chelmsford Borough Council head of municipal engineering services, said: "It is an extremely unfortunate thing to have happened and we are extremely sorry that it did. "We were short-staffed earlier in the year, with two people on long-term sick. It's human error."

Published Friday October 18, 2002

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