Grieving mother told to remove partner's headstone - because it has two kisses

A grieving mother has been ordered by a church to remove the headstone from her partner's grave - because it has two kisses on it.

Janet Corless was devastated when warehouseman Mike Howsley suddenly died in front of her and teenage daughter Sophie aged just 49 in January.

She spent £2,000 on the loving tribute, with an inscription containing two small kisses and the phrase 'sleep tight Dad'.

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The masons who supplied it insisted the inscription was authorised before it was erected at St Mary's Brownedge Church in Bamber Bridge, Lancs.

But heartbroken Janet, 52, and Sophie, 19, has since been ordered to remove the stone which was erected on May 2 - even though they say others in the same churchyard have similar phrases and kisses.

Janet, a primary school supervisor from Walton-le-Dale, Lancs., said: 'The priest took exception to two little kisses and the phrase ‘sleep tight Dad’.

'I can't believe it. It's so callous and I’m absolutely heartbroken.

'It's only seven months since Mike died suddenly right in front of Sophie and me and it is still very raw.

'The headstone we chose was beautiful and we were delighted with it when it was put on the grave.

'But when they told us the inscription was inappropriate and would have to go it was a complete bombshell.

'I had a meeting with the priest and pleaded with him to allow it but he seemed totally unsympathetic.

'He said the kisses weren't acceptable on the headstone and neither was the phrase on the base.’

Janet, a mum-of-one, added: 'Mike meant the world to us and it's hard enough coping with our loss without having something like this making it worse. Why can't they show some compassion?'

Michelle Howe, company director at Cocker Memorials in Preston, Lancs., insisted she had verbal approval before the stone was erected.

She said: 'Sometimes we get written confirmation and sometimes it's done with a phone call. This was over the phone.

'We wouldn't have gone ahead and made the headstone if we didn’t have approval.

'But it now looks like we will have to make an entirely new one because covering up the letters won't look right.'

Sophie, who works in a nursing home, added: 'The priest said we could have ‘sleep tight Dad,’ but on a separate piece of stone - not on the headstone.

'So, really, its just down to those two little kisses.

'I've been round the churchyard and there are other headstones with kisses on. It seems ridiculous.'

Fr George Corrie at St Mary's said: 'We extend our deepest sympathies to Mrs Corless at this difficult time and will be working closely with the stonemason to make sure her partner's headstone is erected correctly as soon as possible.'

A spokesman for the Diocese of Salford, which includes Bamber Bridge, was unavailable for comment.