STRICT church rules have prevented a heartbroken widow from creating the perfect memorial to her husband who died of CJD.

Graham Wood lost a brave battle for survival last October after contracting the human form of mad cow disease.

His wife Maria and their three children planned to create a shrine to Graham at his burial plot in the graveyard of Walmsley Church to help them come to terms with their loss.

But now the devastated family have been told they cannot have the colour of grave stone they wanted because of national guidelines laid down by the Church of England.

And Mrs Wood says she has also been refused permission to position a picture of Graham at his final resting place.

Yesterday Mrs Wood, 41, of Baker Street, Kearsley, said: "I feel terrible about this. I'm really aggravated and annoyed. It's costing about £1,500 but we're being told what I can and can't have.

"I had already chosen the picture of Graham I was going to use. It was one where he was at a party and he had not lost any weight.

"Having a picture would mean it was easier to speak to Graham. We would not just be looking at a gravestone. It would mean our children would be able to see their dad when they visit his grave.

Compromise

"We wanted to have all of this in place for what would have been Graham's birthday in April."

The family were told the polished Balmoral gravestone they wanted would contravene stringent national Church of England rules.

Instead a compromise was reached and Mrs Wood had to pick a blue pearl headstone. But her request for a picture to be placed on the grave has so far fallen on deaf ears. This week Mrs Wood had a meeting with Rev David Brierley, of Walmsley Church, Blackburn Road, Egerton, to discuss what colour of headstone would be allowed.

She added: "We have nothing against Rev Brierley. We know it's not his fault and that he's got to stick by the rules but the rules are a disgrace."

Yesterday Rev Brierley stressed that part of the regulations' aim was to ensure the colour of grave stones match the colour of the church, so both weather in the same way.

He added: "What Mrs Wood has asked for is something which is beyond my authority to grant.

"These are nationally agreed rules and there is a strong legal process involved. Through the ages some clergy have been more relaxed than others about this issue."

Rev Brierley added that any requests made which he cannot grant can be considered by the Chancellor of the Diocese of Manchester in an independent legal ruling. And Mrs Wood is set to take her challenge for her husband's grave to that higher level.

She added: "I want everything to be sorted for Graham's birthday and I won't give in."

Mrs Wood's battle with the graveyard guidelines comes less than four years after another family's fight to put "Dad" and "Grandad" on their relative's gravestone.

The Rev Stephen Brian, vicar of the Holy Trinity Parish Church, barred the wording, insisting the words "Father" and "Grandfather" were more appropriate.

Charles and Wendy Brown successfully applied for the body of Mr Brown's father, Frederick, to be exhumed from the graveyard in Freckleton, Lancashire, and moved to Lytham.

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