A family have voiced their anger and distress after a botched burial left a late grandfather's coffin partially exposed in a shallow grave.

Michael Constable, 82, died in August after suffering with cancer for about seven years. His funeral was held at St Bartholomew's Church in Wolverhampton on 17 September.

But his children complained after noticing the grave was not deep enough and they have faced weeks of delays in getting him reburied.

The Diocese of Lichfield, which runs the church, said it recognised the "profound distress" caused and was "deeply sorry" about the situation.

Kassandra Constable, Michael's daughter, said: "I feel like I haven't been able to grieve at all because he's not been allowed to rest.

"I've lost a stone in weight, I'm not sleeping, I'm anxious all the time, very down and stressed trying to deal with all this. I just feel very let down by the church."

The 48-year-old, from Perton, Staffordshire, said she "did not want to make a big deal of it" at first when she spotted the issue at the funeral because she thought it would be quickly rectified.

But when she visited the grave three days later to lay some flowers, she saw it had not been filled in properly, there were concrete slabs on it and there was a hole, through which she could see the lower end of the coffin.

"I looked in and I put my hand in," she added. "I could see and feel the foot-end of my dad's coffin."

Kassandra said the gravedigger had not started until the day of the funeral and she was told roots had prevented them from making it deeper.

Following her complaint, the grave was temporarily made safe, more presentable and was filled in properly until a reburial could be carried out.

However, it took weeks before the reburial was confirmed and Michael has since been exhumed, with a second funeral due to take place on Monday.

Kassandra said the fact he had to be exhumed and taken to the funeral director before being reburied was "devastating".

"It makes it even more upsetting - the fact he's been taken off the grounds for the next few days," she added.

Her brother Simon Constable, who lives in the United States, said he would not be able to travel to the UK again for the second funeral.

He said he was "gobsmacked" when his sister told him about the state of the grave, describing the last few weeks as "unbelievable" and "crazy".

"It's been so stupidly drawn out with no information. It's incredulous, I've never heard of it before," Simon, 55, said.

"It shouldn't have happened, and after it did happen, it should have been sorted straight away."

He added: "To know your dad was buried initially and now is in cold storage, that's a big kick in the teeth."

The siblings said they would like a written apology from the diocese and urged it to ensure something like this did not happen to anyone else.

But mostly, they wanted to see a conclusion to their situation so they could grieve properly for their father, who Simon described as a "big family man" and "super smart".

He said Michael, who lived in Wolverhampton, was a bricklayer who could be a "bit of a scallywag" and loved his music and pets.

Kassandra said she would spend most of her time with her dad as they were "literally best friends".

"I feel absolutely lost without him," she added. "I really was a proper daddy's girl. It is proving very difficult to know I'm never going to see him again.

"So for all this to happen, after he went through so much with all his illnesses, is just unfair."

The Venerable Liz Jackson, Archdeacon of Walsall, said: "We recognise the profound distress caused to the family by the circumstances surrounding the original burial.

"We are deeply sorry that they have had to endure this experience and our thoughts remain with them at this very difficult time."

She said support had been offered and the diocese recognised the family's perception of that support "may differ" from its own, but did not want to "add to their distress through a public exchange of differing accounts".

"Our immediate priority is to ensure the reburial proceeds with the dignity, care and respect the deceased and family deserve," Jackson added.

"We are working towards that outcome and remain in close touch with the family."

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