My John's grave was desecrated over a bill for just £90

A WIDOW has been left distraught after her late husband's gravestone was removed by a memorial company because she failed to make a final payment of less than £90.

• Rachel Muirhead at the grave of her husband John

Grandmother-of-eight Rachel Muirhead, who had just 89.25 left to pay towards the 1300 stone, hit out at Robertson Memorials, which made the grave marker, for "desecrating" her husband John's grave.

The 61-year-old claimed she was given no prior warning by the firm of its intention to remove the stone from Mortonhall Cemetery, and only found out when she received a "cold" letter from the company last week informing her that it had been taken.

Mrs Muirhead, who lives in Liberton, said: "I just kept thinking that the stone was the last thing I could give him and they took that away from him. They have desecrated my man's grave.

"I know it's my fault for forgetting to pay but people can forget things. If it had been for a big sum of money, I could maybe have understood, but not for 89.25."

The retired cleaner added: "I thought I had paid it all off, there had been a lot of things going on in the family and it just went from my mind. I got a letter in September last year saying there was over 200 left to pay. We made arrangements for me to pay 25 every three weeks."

Mrs Muirhead said she failed to make the final few payments due to ill-health and family problems, and received a letter from the company last Thursday informing her that the stone had been removed.

"It was the worst day of my life," she said. "When I read the letter, I just couldn't control myself and got in a right state. My heart was torn out. I phoned my daughter Beverley right away and she went down and paid it. I slept and cried all day."

A spokeswoman for Robertson Memorials said the company had sent Mrs Muirhead several letters since the last payment was made on November 17, warning her that if the final amount was not paid, the marker would be removed.

Mrs Muirhead said she did not receive any of the letters.

The spokeswoman said: "The fact is the memorial was picked up because it's taken her a year and a half to pay the bill. We gave her plenty opportunity to make regular payments, which we don't normally do, but since November she failed to respond to any of the letters that we sent.

"It's not something we like to do but we are a company and we need to be paid. She had plenty of opportunities to pay the bill."

Mr Muirhead died at the age of 75 after being diagnosed with lung and prostate cancer in September 2008.

The Muirheads were married for 38 years and the couple would have celebrated their ruby wedding anniversary on December 3 last year.

The spokeswoman for Robertson Memorials added that the company planned to return the grave marker today.

Mrs Muirhead said: "I think it's absolutely diabolical. My brother James said it's just like grave robbing. I just hope it never happens to anyone else, I wouldn't want anybody to go through what I went through."