A woman says she "can't feel the same way" about a grave she had reserved and paid for after a stranger was mistakenly buried there and later exhumed.

Marie Lane, 69, said she had booked a plot, behind her deceased parents, at Deeping St James Cemetery in Lincolnshire. She said she felt "rather empty" and "appalled" at how the parish council had handled the mistake.

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) granted a licence to exhume the person in Lane's grave in order to rectify the error.

Deeping St James Parish Council said it "acknowledges that a mistake was made" and apologised "for the distress this has caused both families". It said the burial plot had been returned to Lane.

In 2013, Lane said she bought the exclusive right to be buried in a space behind her mother, this was confirmed by a document from Deeping St James Parish Council, which has been seen by the BBC.

"I bought a plot to be near to my parents," Lane said.

"There's no point in me being buried here if I can't be with my loved ones."

In early 2023, Lane said she visited the cemetery and saw someone had been buried in her plot.

"I just stood there and didn't know what to do, to be honest," she recalled.

"A person I don't know was buried in my grave."

Lane said it took her more than three years to appeal to have the person moved and said she had "no alternative" as there were no other nearby space to her parents.

In order to exhume a body on unconsecrated ground in England, a licence must be sought from the MoJ and consent from the person's next of kin is usually required.

In a letter from the MoJ to Deeping St James Parish Council, the department granted the licence without next of kin consent and despite "moral and religious" objections from the deceased person's family.

It explained there were a "lack of other possible solutions" to "allow the mistake to be rectified" and therefore allowed the exhumation.

The BBC has attempted to make contact with the exhumed person's family.

Marie Lane's husband Eric Lane, 77, said the process had a "devastating impact" on his wife.

He said he believed the parish council "couldn't keep proper records to avoid such an error" and was concerned a similar mistake could happen again.

The BBC put this specific allegation to the council and asked what measures have been put in place to prevent future errors. No response was received.

Eric Lane said his wife "doesn't like" going to the cemetery now.

"There's so much nastiness, bitterness connected to here I don't know if it ever pass," he said.

Marie Lane said she sympathised with the family of the person who was accidentally buried in her plot and said she understood the impact they had faced.

"I wanted to meet them," she said.

"I asked [the parish council] to meet them countless times and I was told no."

Marie Lane added: "I feel very uncomfortable even visiting the cemetery, we don't come anywhere near as often as we used to," she said.

She said she still has questions.

"This should not have taken three years, three months, and we shouldn't have had to fight like this," she said.

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