Family's heartbreak as much-loved mum and grandmother's grave waterlogged in Whitley Bay cemetery
by Daniel Hall · ChronicleLiveA family have spoken of their devastation at going to visit a much-loved mother and grandmother's grave to find it full of water.
Veronica Donaldson was buried in Whitley Bay Cemetery on September 2, after she died from cancer. Her daughter Tracey Maghie, niece Dione Hall, and granddaughter Beth, went to visit the grave on what would have been Veronica's 81st birthday on Monday, November 18.
However, they found that the grave was waterlogged and all of the tributes they had placed there at the burial were floating in the water. North Tyneside Council, which manages the cemetery, said the issue was "unavoidable sinkage" at the grave site caused by recent heavy rainfall.
Veronica's granddaughter Beth Maghie told ChronicleLive: "It was so distressing, especially for my mam. Well, for everybody but my mam the most.
"She (Veronica) suffered quite a lot, she had terminal cancer and we thought burying her she's obviously out of pain and at ease now. And then to turn up and see that on her birthday, when you just want to go and make it look pretty, it's awful."
Veronica lived in Walker but chose to be buried in Whitley Bay so her headstone would back onto that of her sister, Angela Marie Horseman. Beth said she had no idea when Veronica's headstone could be lain, with North Tyneside Council's bereavement service saying it would generally take 12 months.
Beth added: "The grave is somewhere we thought we could eventually see her at peace. After all the suffering she went through, it's not nice."
ChronicleLive contacted North Tyneside Council for more information, which said its teams were levelling the grave, topping it up and tidying it. The work was expected to be completed on Monday.
A spokesperson for North Tyneside Council said: "The recent heavy rainfall we experienced caused unavoidable sinkage at the grave site. Our staff are on site today to ensure the grave is levelled, topped up, and tidied with care.
"We are committed to maintaining our cemeteries to a high standard and are always available to support families with any concerns. We have been in touch with the family to offer our apologies for the upset this has caused."
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