A Chorley woman claims her twin brother's grave has been desecrated by cemetery officials.

Sharon Kemp, 31, of Cameron Croft, Chorley, went to lay flowers on the anniversary of her brother Marcus Gee's death, but was horrified to discover kerbstones from the grave had been ripped up and thrown in a ditch.

She said: "I was absolutely devastated. I just couldn't believe it. I felt sick."

The mother-of-four visited Chorley Cemetery, in Southport Road, on Monday, exactly eight years after Marcus' death.

When she approached cemetery workers about it, she was told the stones had been removed because council policy had not allowed kerbs or surrounds on graves since 1974.

They told her they had started a three-year campaign to improve health and safety for visitors and the appearance of the grounds, but it had taken time to get to Marcus's grave because of the number of people buried in the cemetery.

"I found the stones dumped in a ditch but there were still hundreds of other graves that had the same design that had not been touched," said Sharon, who attended the grave with daughter, Nicole, 15, and sons, Jon, 13, Leon, 11, and Jordan, nine.

"I just couldn't understand it. If it hasn't been allowed for ages then why all of a sudden after eight years have they decided to change it now."

She said that it was all the more difficult for her and her family to handle because it happened on the anniversary of his death.

After visiting the cemetery, Sharon had to break the news to her mother, Mavis, 73, brothers, Eddie, 45, and Graham, 44, and sister Michelle, 37.

"The family are really upset and are taking it really hard. I can't believe they didn't even bother to tell me they were going to do it.

"I just think it's been handled all wrong. He was such a happy-go-lucky and popular lad and it's just awful this has happened," she said.

Marcus died, aged 23, in 1997 when he choked after a night out with friends. His death came a year after being badly beaten up, which left him paralysed on his left side.

Sharon said the void left following her brother's death will never be filled.

"Being twins meant we had an extra special bond," she said.

"The night he got beaten up I had a tremendous headache and sometimes we would be able to sense each other's emotions."

A spokesperson for Chorley Borough Council said: "In the case of new graves, we are able to notify the owners of the policy, but for older graves it is often more difficult to track down the owner, who may have changed addresses or even passed away themselves since interment.

"We are truly sorry if this policy has caused any upset to anyone associated with any of the 43,000 people currently resting in the cemetery but it has been carried out to improve the facility for as many as possible and ensure it remains an appropriate resting place for local people for many years to come."