PLANS to exhume human remains buried metres away from a family’s living room window have been put on hold.

St Michael’s Church in Heighington, near Darlington, revealed its intention earlier this year to dig up unmarked burial plots and re-bury the remains at a deeper level to make way for fresh burials on top.

But a revised public notice informing parish members of the Parochial Church Council-backed plans has stated letters of objection will be received until the end of this month.

The controversial proposals made on behalf of the church’s vicar and churchwardens were originally revealed in early February.

And the plans to “lift and lower” remains were met with mixed reactions from Heighington residents before the objection period ended on Monday, March 7.

But 23-year-old Harriett Sowerby, who moved to a house bordering St Michael’s churchyard with her parents five years ago, has questioned the revised notice which describes the reuse of graves as a centuries old practice.

Miss Sowerby, a student and Christian volunteer, said: “I see they have written that because the graves will be 90 years old, it would be too difficult to identify them.

“Ninety years ago is only 1926 and the people who would have been buried there would be in coffins.

“So by them pointing out in their public notice they would be lifting and lowering these human remains that can mean coffins also."

Several villagers defended the plans earlier in the year and said they were happy for remains to be lowered in order to keep the historic churchyard open for future generations.

The new public notice now reads: “Throughout the original churchyard there are areas without headstones.

“If there are graves in these areas, they are at least 90 years old and would be impossible to identify who is buried in them.

“Traditionally, graves were dug much deeper than is current practice and the Parochial Church Council is considering reusing these unmarked areas in a process called over-burying."

The Parochial Church Council’s application to survey the land and reinter recovered remains will be heard by the Consistory Court of the Diocese of Durham after all letters of objection are received by Saturday, April 30.