POLICE are now investigating a former Worcester mayor who threatened to “dig up” a dead man’s body during a graveyard dispute.

West Mercia Police has confirmed they are looking into the circumstances surrounding Allah Ditta ’s outburst.

Mr Ditta was secretly recorded threatening to dig up Monuhor Ali’s body after a row with his family over an unpaid bill of £400.

Mr Ali died in June aged 74 and is buried at the city’s private Muslim cemetery, where Mr Ditta does voluntary work tending to graves.

The family have refused to pay the bill because they say Mr Ditta has done no work on the grave, something which he denies.

Ruhal Hussain, aged 41, Mr Ali’s son, said: “We have been to Worcester police station and spent about 45 minutes taking to officers about what has happened. We are adam-ant the bill should not be paid. He did no work on the grave and we don’t owe him anything.

“The whole family is still very distressed about the whole incident, especially what he said about digging up my father.”

Mr Ditta, a Conservative politician, has survived calls for him to resign, with party colleagues saying he was acting in a personal capacity at the cemetery and not as a councillor.

He is a founder member of the Worcester Muslim Welfare Association, which leases the cemetery from the city council and has complete control over it.

Mr Ditta said: “This is the first I’ve heard about the police. I’ve had no great correspondence with the family over it recently.

“I’ve got five members of my own family buried at the cemetery. There’s no way I’ll stop going.”

He has apologised for the threat, but still claims that the family owe money for work carried out to line Mr Ali’s grave with bricks in accordance with Islamic tradition.

The family say they lined the grave themselves and are willing for it to go to court if need be.

A spokeswoman for West Mercia Police said: “We did meet them and are looking into their concerns, and someone will get back to the family in due course.”