A grieving grandson has described a mix-up in headstones at a cemetery as an insult to his family.

Paul Hill, 33, discovered the mistake when he went to visit the grave of his grandmother Violet Martin in Portslade cemetery.

In place of the ceramic flowerpot the family had placed on her grave when she was buried in February was a white headstone belonging to a stranger.

He later discovered the headstone, which was inscribed with the names Reuben George Moody and Ivy Esther Moody, belonged to a plot near where his grandmother was buried.

Mr Hill said: "I can't understand how they got mixed up as there is a lot of difference between the two names.

"I showed the attendant what was wrong and he said the white headstone belonged on a grave four rows and 16 graves away from my nan's.

"I had a phone call from the attendant saying he was sorry and promising it would be put right by Monday morning but it wasn't. I don't think that's good enough."

Mr Hill, of Downland Court, Mile Oak, looked after Mrs Martin for the last six years of her life until her death in February aged 84.

He said: "This is just an insult to the family. It is very upsetting. I am upset and my mother is upset.

"The lady on the white headstone only died in April. I don't know if her family have been up to the cemetery to visit but if they have I am sure they will have found it upsetting as well."

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council, which owns the cemetery, said: "The positioning of the gravestones is the responsibility of the funeral directors and stonemasons.

"We alerted the funeral directors to the problem in this case and they agreed to do something about it.

"We were contacted by the stonemason asking us to show him which stone needed to be moved and as far as we know the job has now been done."