DARLINGTON Borough Council has apologised to a grieving family after gravediggers disrupted a baby’s final resting place.

Jonah Llewellyn died in his sleep in 2012 at just ten weeks old and was buried in Darlington’s North Cemetery, where his heartbroken family regularly tend his grave.

This week, his 13-year-old sister Emily came home in tears after visiting the site and finding Jonah’s grave obscured by a mound of dirt and all decorations and tributes removed and left nearby.

The Llewellyns say they were left devastated by the disturbance, which took place without the family’s knowledge or permission.

The Northern Echo:

UPSET: The Llewellyn family, pictured with baby Jonah

Jonah’s mother, Sarah Llewellyn, took to Facebook to say: “I was confronted with destruction.

“I am absolutely gutted – why didn’t they contact me and ask me to move everything?

“I find this totally disrespectful.”

Grandfather Brian Llewellyn added: “To do this to our baby’s grave is disgusting and beggars belief.

“Emily was in floods of tears – the workers say this is how it’s done but that’s no excuse, why not ring us and we would have shifted everything ourselves?

“There’s a huge pile of mud on top of our dead grandson and the whole area looks like a bomb’s hit it.

“It is heartbreaking and we did not need this, it was an already really sad affair.

“We know they have to dig graves but they could have done it with more decorum and sensitivity.

“Losing Jonah was a terrible shock for our family and this has left us feeling as though we’d like to strangle someone.”

A Darlington Borough Council spokesman said: “We have spoken to the Llewellyn family to offer an explanation and our sincere apologies for the distress this has caused.

“We do all we can to protect existing graves when preparing for burials and moved toys on Jonah’s grave in an effort to prevent further damage.

“Cemetery staff have been asked to ensure the area is left as tidy as possible once the burial at the adjacent plot has taken place.”

The Llewellyns are currently attempting to raise money to install a permanent headstone at Jonah’s grave. To donate, visit gofundme.com/jonahwilliam.