Mother, 30, criticises Northamptonshire church over 'horrible' 16-month experience trying to bury her baby son

The mother of a baby boy who died in her womb has criticised a Northamptonshire church over the “horrible” handling of her son's burial site.

Sharni Hughes' son Eddie died on January 13 last year following health complications and was later buried at Church of Saint Bartholomew in Greens Norton, Towcester on January 28, 2021.

However, in February 2021, a wall just behind Eddie's grave collapsed and landed on top of his burial site, crushing everything on top of it.

Now, sixteen months later, the wall has still not been fixed because of legal procedures from the church to find out if it is responsible for the wall.

This has meant Sharni has been unable to put a bespoke £1,300 headstone up for her son due to fears of the wall collapsing again and destroying it.

Sharni, aged 30, said: "The church are just not doing anything about it. I want to put my son's headstone up. If I can't, it's not finished, there is no closure.

"My dead son is laying in that church and I can't do anything about it. I can't put his headstone up, I can't finish off his bed. His brothers and his dad are upset about it. It's really getting us down.

"It's been a horrible experience. Absolutely horrible. I go and sit up at his grave and it really gets to me. It doesn't feel finished. I feel like I'm letting him down.

"People in the village have offered to go up and repair the wall for free. They all said we'll chip in and go up there together, they're amazing.”

Sharni said she has been offered another plot, but the one where her son was buried has a “special” meaning to her and the family.

The mother said: "We chose a certain plot because he was born in the snow drop unit in Northampton General Hospital and when we chose this plot it was covered in snow drops, so we wanted that one.

"I just want the wall fixed, and if the church doesn't want to pay for it we will find the money to do it. I don't care how it gets fixed, just fix it so I can put my son's headstone up."

Reverend Paula Challen said the church shares Sharni's frustration and is working towards a resolution.

The reverend said: "There is an issue about the ownership and responsibility of the boundary wall and we appreciate this is frustrating for the family and equally frustrating for us. We would like to get it resolved as soon as possible, it does take time.

"We're currently trying to do all we can through our legal process to work our way forward with it.

"It's not an easy thing to resolve, and Covid [has been a factor]."