Heartbroken family ‘in pieces’ after finding blundering workers changing the locks on grandmother’s house on the day of her funeral

• Council bosses have apologised for the incident at Cathleen Wainwright’s home 

A heartbroken family were left ‘in pieces’ after returning home to find the locks on a grandmother’s house where she had lived for 20 years being changed on the day of her funeral.

Council chiefs have apologised for the blunder at the council home of Cathleen Wainwright, 85.

Her daughter Tracy had lived with her mother to care for her during the final three months of her life – and had been promised time to clear the house in Haverfordwest following Mrs Wainwright’s death.

But as the family were at the graveside they learned blundering officials had arrived early to change the locks – and had to dash away from the funeral on November 27.

Cathleen’s son Paul, 49, said: ‘We were told by the council that we had until December 9 to sort out mum’s stuff.

The heartbroken family returned home to find the locks being changes on Mrs Wainwright’s house (stock image)

‘The council said that they would change the locks on that date and charge us storage if anything was left.

‘But they turned up to change the locks on the day of mum’s funeral. If it hadn’t been that my sister was so upset that she had to leave the grave and go back to the house, we would have come back and found ourselves locked out.

‘My sister was in pieces over it. It was a shock.’

Pembrokeshire Council has apologised for the ‘distress’ caused after the lock change at Cathleen’s house and launched an investigation.

Paul said: ‘We want to find out who authorised the changing of the locks on that date. My sister was distraught at the fact that they went to change the locks when the funeral was on.

‘I want to know who authorised the changing of the locks on my mother’s funeral day.’

A spokesperson for Pembrokeshire County Council said: ‘We can confirm that an internal investigation is being undertaken into the circumstances leading to this situation arising.

‘We apologise to the family for any distress caused.’

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