The sister of an Old Trafford worker who died said she was 'crying' and 'heartbroken' when she saw the state her grave had been left in - the police were called to the gravesite
Image of Chloe Hopkins
Chloe Hopkins died after a battle with an illness(Image: MEN MEDIA)
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A raging family said they were left "heartbroken" after the grave of a Manchester United worker, who died aged 26, was found covered in a mountain of soil.
Police were called to Southern Cemetery, in Manchester, after the family of Chloe Hopkins found her grave was buried under a pile of dirt and soil. Chloe, an Old Trafford worker, tragically died after a long battle with an illness.
The young woman was buried at the site three years ago but police were called to the cemetery on Monday afternoon following "reports of a disturbance" - no arrests were made.
Chloe's grave covered in soil
Chloe's grave was covered in soil while a plot next to it was dug up (Image: MEN MEDIA)
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Her family said they found the pile of soil on her grave while a plot next to her was dug up before a funeral. Although there is no headstone, Chloe's grave is well tended and visited almost daily by her family - it is also decorated with solar lights, balloons, flowers and mementoes, according to Manchester Evening News.
Her heartbroken loved ones claimed a small wooden fence around the plot, and items placed nearby, were moved as the nearby works went on. Chloe's family also claimed a name plate was found cracked and taped back together.
The 26-year-old, a Manchester United fan, had worked in hospitality in an executive suite at Old Trafford and regularly served club legends such as Sir Alex Ferguson.
Soil on Chloe's grave
Her sister said she was 'heartbroken' by the sight(Image: MEN MEDIA)
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One of her siblings said Chloe struggled with cystic fibrosis from birth and eventually had a double lung transplant. Her family said her family eventually rejected the new organs.
Chloe's older sister Claire, 41, said: "It's heartbreaking. I look after that grave virtually every day and sometimes I come a couple of times a day. We're very close family. When I saw what they'd done, I was shocked. I was crying.
"Everything had been pushed back, and some things were broken like the lights. I told them they had disrespected her grave and disrespected our sister."
Claire said she went to the office at the cemetery and continued to vent her unhappiness with other members of her family. She added: "The police turned up and they were actually quite sympathetic. They spoke to me, but there was no arrest. I was shouting, to be fair, that they had disrespected Chloe's grave like she's a piece of s**t. I was saying 'how dare you do that and how can you just put the soil on top of her like that when there's other places it can go?' I did lose my temper. I was crying. I was shocked.
How Chloe's grave usually looks
Chloe's family said her grave is usually decorated with solar lights, balloons, flowers and mementoes(Image: MEN MEDIA)
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"If I had received a phone call and they said 'this is the only way we can do it', I would have accepted it. I would have gone down and removed everything carefully. It just looked like a big tip. My brothers and sisters are heartbroken."
The soil had been removed from Chloe's grave by the following day and returned to the plot from which it had been dug, following a burial. Town hall leaders say all grave owners are informed that it is "standard practice" to place soil on a neighbouring plot when preparing a new grave. Protective sheeting is put up to protect objects placed on graves, they say.
Councillor Lee-Ann Igbon, the town hall's executive member for 'vibrant neighbourhoods', said: "We understand that it can be upsetting for families to find temporary restrictions around a loved one's grave which is why every effort is taken when excavating new graves to do this as carefully and respectfully as possible.
"We apologise for any distress caused to the family and will be reaching out to speak to them about any concerns or items they feel may have been damaged. During this incident staff were subjected to verbal abuse and physical aggression and personal threats were made which led to the police being called. While we always aim to support bereaved families sensitively, we cannot tolerate abuse or violence towards staff."
Claire, who says she is being treated mental health problems following the death of her sister, added: "We've tried to move forward as a family and keep her memory alive. Her grave is never left on its own. Chloe gets visits every single day."
She said she decorated the grave at Christmas, birthdays and others dates in the calendar, adding: "When you are going through things and you are struggling, it's not acceptable to go to the grave and see what they have done to her.
"It's hard enough going, let alone seeing it look like a tip. It's wrong. She lived life to the full. She loved to travel. After her first transplant, she travelled the world."