NEWPORT council will not face any official report over the St Woolos cemetery graves scandal.

The local government ombudsman has completed an investigation into the burial mix-ups at the cemetery, revealed by the Argus last year.

Now the council watchdog has written to the relatives involved in the scandal - saying there is no need for a formal report as he believes the council took reasonable steps to resolve their complaints.

After we highlighted the graves mix-up, the council issued a full apology to relatives of those involved.

And at the ombudsman's request, it has now issued a further public apology, in the latest edition of its newsletter Newport Matters.

The newsletter, delivered to all households in the city, carries an apology from Councillor Graham Dally, cabinet member for transport and sustainable development, who says: "We apologise to everyone affected by these dreadful errors.

"We understand the considerable distress that friends and relatives affected suffered. As soon as we became aware of what happened 20 years ago, the council took action.

"The problems were largely down to human error and council officers involved were disciplined and procedures were put in place to ensure that it could not happen again."

But angry relatives say an ombudsman's report should be published.

Gail Williams' husband died two years ago. He was to be buried next to his ex-wife - but it was discovered the grave was in a different place to the one where flowers had been laid for 20 years. It also contained the bodies of three unrelated stillborn children.

Mrs Williams, of Bettws, pictured, said: "I can't believe they are not going to issue a report on this. We are going to see the issue swept under the carpet once more."

Alan Perchard discovered his great uncle was not buried in the grave he visited for 20 years when he asked for his aunt to be buried there.

He said: "The ombudsman has failed us terribly."

And Debra Bailey's father Ronald James was buried at St. Woolos cemetery in 1980.

She had the grave opened last year, after reading about the scandal in the Argus - and discovered his body was not under the cross they had visited and placed flowers at for more than 20 years.

She said: "There should be a report into it all."

David Morris, the manager at the city council responsible for cemeteries, said relatives affected by the error could contact the council for more information on 01633 232812.