Churches in a York benefice have apologised after ornaments were removed from graves in a local churchyard and dumped in a bin.

Relatives of those buried at St Martin's Church in Hayton, near Pocklington say they’re “heartbroken” and “disgusted” after items including teddies were taken away by church wardens.

Diocese of York regulations state that certain items including garden ornaments, pictures or some artificial flowers and toys are not permitted on graves. But Pocklington Group of Churches said the Parochial Church Council (PCC) has the authority to apply the regulations locally. It is now planning to meet the affected families to hear their concerns, but accepted that some families may have wrongly believed it was OK to place the items on their loved one’s grave. It added: “We are sorry that the decision to remove these items was not carried out with the compassion families deserved.

"Immediate steps are being taken to establish what was removed and whether missing belongings can be located and returned."

Faye Smith who lost her baby in 2003 told the BBC: "It's heartbreaking to see that he's been here all 23 years with a little teddy at the side of his grave, and they've taken it away and smashed it up, but it isn't only that; it's what they've done to everybody else.

"It's heartbreaking that they can do this. To have no warning that they were going to do this, and actually just smash everything up and throw it away with no warning whatsoever."