DISTRAUGHT families whose loved ones' graves were moved without their permission are to receive an official apology.

Graves and memorial vases were moved from the cremation garden at Malton Cemetery earlier this year to enable staff to cut the grass there.

But some families complained the graves of their wives and husbands - some of which had been there for five years - had been desecrated.

The vases and memorial stones which had been carefully placed by families over the cremated remains of their loved ones were moved to a far wall.

But when they complained Malton Town Council, the cemetery owners, told them - "you shouldn't have put them there in the first place."

Now Malton Town Council has admitted it made an insensitive blunder and is planning to write to each family apologising.

But the council is standing by its policy of not allowing people to place a memorial on the grassy area.

Widower and pensioner Ron Paterson, who alerted the Evening Press to the council's decision, said he was still disgusted at the council's actions.

"The ashes of my wife Joan have been on that grass for five years and I was horrified when I found they had moved her memorial stone," he said.

"I feel like her grave has been desecrated - I am very angry."

Malton Town Councillor Des Reed said he thought maintaining the policy of disallowing memorials on the grassed area was insensitive.

"It is traditional to put flowers directly over someone's grave," he said.

"Now people will be forced to put their flowers against the wall but there will be no way of telling who they are for."

Town Mayor Jane Wilford admitted the council was in a difficult position.

"This space needs to be kept clear but some of these graves have been on that grassed area for five years," she added.

"The families should have been told in the first place that they weren't allowed to use that space - not five years down the line."

Updated: 07:52 Friday, September 28, 2001