A HEARTBROKEN Redditch mum has been told she cannot put a new headstone at the grave of her son, who died 16 years ago, because all rights to it belong to her estranged ex-husband.

Sarah Woodward, of Abberly Close, Church Hill, was devastated when she discovered she had no say over her son Jamie's grave in Abbey Cemetery.

She has been saving up to have a new memorial put in to mark what would have been his 16th birthday.

The mum-of-six said: "I wanted to give Jamie a present. I have given to my other children and I wanted to let Jamie know he is always in my heart."

But, Mrs Woodward has been told all legal rights to the grave belong to Jamie's dad - and her husband at the time of his death - because his name is on the deeds.

"When my baby son died the last thing on my mind was arranging his funeral. But now because my name is not on the paperwork I have no rights over his grave," she said.

Mrs Woodward is now remarried and is no longer in contact with Jamie's father.

Now, she is campaigning for a change in the law so that both parents have equalled rights to their children's grave regardless of which name is on the deeds.

Redditch Cemetery manager Stuart Connelly said: "We have to operate within the confines of the law and the law states that the right to erect a memorial belongs to the grave owner who, in this instance is the husband."

He has also offered to act as a go-between for Mrs Woodward and her estranged husband to resolve the matter.