A GRIEVING woman has seen her mother's last wish come true - after months wrangling with a funeral director over cash donated at her funeral.

Janet Mather feared her late mother May Grimes' final wish - for all donations made at her funeral to be passed on to Guide Dogs for the Blind - would never be fulfilled after money sent to undertaker Steven Poole 'vanished'.

Months after her funeral more than £95 was still outstanding - until the Citizen stepped in and tracked down Steven Poole, who had temporarily shut his business.

Now the charity has all the cash.

Janet, of Castleton Road, Deepdale, said: "I am so relieved the whole thing is over. It was a very distressing time for us all.

"I have received confirmation from the charity that all the money has arrived.

"The whole incident has caused us a lot of heartache."

Mr Poole has now closed his Plungington Road premises.

We first revealed the plight of several families affected by the temporary closure of his business back in March.

But now a new firm has moved into his old premises, and friends of the funeral director say he has decided to quit - this time with all loose ends tied up.

Among the 'clients' he left in the lurch earlier this year was one who had been promised a lock of her uncle's hair and another who had been waiting nearly a year for an engraving to be added to her family's gravestone.

Mr Poole openly apologised through the Citizen for any anguish he caused, but was unavailable for comment this week.

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