A GRIEVING widow whose husband was buried in the same grave as three unrelated babies has told council chiefs: "You can keep your apology".

Gail Williams hit out after Newport council said it was sorry for any upset caused to people whose loved ones were buried in the wrong graves at St Woolos Cemetery.

The Argus exclusively revealed this week that dozens of bodies may be buried under the wrong headstones in blocks 99 and 101.

Yesterday the man in charge of the city's cemeteries, Tom Chaloner, publicly apologised and told the Argus:

"We are pretty confident the majority are now in the right place."

But Mrs Williams, of Bettws, says nothing can make up for the distress her family has suffered.

Mrs Williams tried to bury her husband Glyndwr in the same grave as his first wife last year - only to discover she was not buried where the family had always thought.

Her grave was located - and contained three stillborn babies unrelated to her.

Mr Williams was buried but it was only later that the council admitted the error.

"I read Tom Chaloner in the Argus and I thought that apology meant nothing," Mrs Williams said.

"When I saw the grave after he was buried I complained because such a big area had been dug up - it looked about 11ft wide. That's when Tom Chaloner came to see me to tell me about the babies being buried there as well."

She added: "I live with the knowledge every day that any one of the mothers of those babies could ask for them to be moved and my husband would have to be dug up. I buried him once, I couldn't bear to go through it a second time."

The mistakes occurred between 1979 and 1981. The cemetery superintendent responsible was sacked as soon as the council realised what was happening, and a code of practice introduced to prevent any further mistakes. Mr Chaloner said: "We are very open and honest if we find a mistake."