THE ashes of a 48-year-old man kept by a council for three years have been scattered on his late mother’s crematorium plot.

Brian Stamp was shocked to learn in a letter that his son Dean’s remains were still in a storeroom at Pleasington Cemetery, Blackburn, when he thought they had been sprinkled with his late wife Megan's soon after the funeral,

The family has been visiting the plot since Dean died of a heart attack in January 2016, believing his ashes had been scattered there by Blackburn with Darwen council staff.

His mother’s ashes were spread on the plot two years earlier after her death from cancer aged 69 and the family had paid for two headstones to be installed.

'We're grieving all over again' – 50 families hit by ashes scattering mix-up

Mr Stamp, 79, of Clarence Street, Darwen, said: "We have now collected Dean's ashes and family members have scattered them on my late wife's plot by the headstones. Obviously we would rather Dean was still here with us, but he is finally where he should be.

The council has apologised the Mr Stamp and 50 more families similarly affected.