A bereaved woman whose partner’s grave twice had sentimental items damaged by council contractors has received £200 in compensation thanks to the Wandsworth Guardian.

Suzanne Brennan, 56, was horrified when workers at Wandsworth Cemetery twice in five months damaged the items placed on the grave of Ursula Stevenson, who died of cancer.

All the council could offer was letters of apology, but hours after intervention from the Wandsworth Guardian she was contacted personally by Peter Brennan (no relation), director of leisure and amenities, who sent her a bouquet and promised compensation from the contractors.

Miss Brennan said: “I was really upset. I had a terrible time when Ursula was dying.

“She was a lovely person, and a religious person as well. To have this happen is absolutely awful.

“Now I’m a lot happier. I wrote a letter a couple of weeks ago and didn’t hear anything for a considerable time. Then after I spoke to you and all this has happened – it’s excellent.”

Miss Brennan, a dental receptionist, marked Miss Stevenson’s grave with a wooden cross and a lavender bush after her death at the age of 65 in 2004.

The bush had sentimental value, because it was Miss Stevenson’s favourite flower and came from the couple’s garden in Tooting.

In July Miss Brennan found the cross tossed aside and the bush flattened after workers constructed a new grave nearby.

The council apologised, but the same thing happened again in November – except this time the bush was uprooted and half-dead.

A council spokesman said: “We were deeply concerned to learn what had happened here and have launched an investigation to find out what went wrong and also to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

“We have also restored the grave to its original condition and have planted a new lavender bush there to replace the one that was damaged.”

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