A GRIEVING mother whose Sunderland-mad son died after being run over by a car has been ordered to remove red and white stripes from his gravestone – or it will be taken away.

Christine Dalby’s son Shaun died beneath the wheels of Naomi Myers’ Fiat Punto outside a Co-op store in his home village of Coxhoe, County Durham, in February 2010.

Myers, formerly of Coxhoe, pursued Mr Dalby, 28, after being told her brother’s house had been attacked. She later admitted manslaughter and was sentenced to five years in prison.

Shortly before his death, Mr Dalby had told his mother he wanted an SAFC crest, red and white colours and a picture of himself above his grave.

But the grieving mother failed to get proper permission for the memorial, in Quarrington Hill churchyard, and the Church of England has ruled it must be toned down.

Rupert Bursell, Chancellor of the Diocese of Durham, said the larger-than-average headstone could remain if the red and white stripes and Mr Dalby’s picture were removed. The SAFC crest could remain, he said, if the club gave its consent.

Chancellor Bursell further said Mrs Dalby must make the changes by Wednesday, June 1 or the Church will do so and bill her for the work.

In a letter to the judge, Mrs Dalby said: “It (her son’s) death has devastated our family the horrible way we lost him as he was my only son I want to treasure all we have left.

“To visit him and know he has a worthy memorial will help our family.”

Mrs Dalby had permission for a granite headstone but not for the additions, which were "firmly stuck on but in a rather unworkmanlike manner", Chancellor Bursell said.

Mrs Dalby claimed to be unaware of the graveyard rules, although Chancellor Bursell said this was “not true” as the priest in charge had informed her by letter.

Speaking to The Northern Echo in 2012, Mrs Dalby said her son’s death was very difficult and would take a long, long time for the family to deal with.

The Consistory Court decision comes shortly after the same court ruled a grieving family could not have a picture of Thomas the Tank Engine on the grave of their three-year-old son.