A grieving daughter is furious after finding her mother's headstone had been deliberately toppled by council workers.

Pauline McCran, 39, visited the grave of her mother, Kathleen Howick, at Seaford cemetery with her family.

They were shocked to discover the headstone had been laid flat without their permission.

As we revealed last week, hundreds of headstones have been flattened by Lewes District Council in Seaford and Lewes as part of a safety programme.

Mrs McCran, of Carshalton, Surrey, said the way the council carried out the work had left her family distraught.

She said: "We have just got over the loss of my mother, who died three years ago, but for this to happen has really upset us.

"To think she has been treated in a less than respectful way makes me so angry."

Mrs McCran has now written to Lewes MP Norman Baker to register her disgust.

A council spokeswoman said notices explaining memorials would be checked for safety had been placed in cemeteries three weeks ago.

She added: "The council has a lengthy task in finding people who are responsible for graves. Even if a memorial was only placed within the last few years, people may have moved."

She said that of 4,500 memorials tested, 431 had been laid down at Seaford cemetery and 27 at Lewes.

People with concern about memorials can call 01273 484393.