By Marcus Dysch

LONDON - A woman whose husband's funeral was delayed because his coffin had been measured incorrectly and the grave dug to the wrong size could take an undertaker to court after he refused to increase his compensation offer of £300 ($393) and a bunch of flowers. Sarah Coleman's husband, David, who ran the Rampley's plumbing company in Finchley, died on New Year's Day following a two-year battle with cancer.

On January 11, his funeral at New Southgate Cemetery, in Brunswick Park Road, was delayed while a mechanical digger was brought to the graveside. Mourners waited for more than an hour before the coffin could be buried in the enlarged grave.

The funeral director, Ian Argent, of Oakleigh Funerals, Oakleigh Road North, Whetstone, was this week criticised by the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF) for the way he has dealt with Mrs Coleman.

Oakleigh Funerals is not a member of either SAIF or the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD), which offer support to both clients and undertakers, as well as implementing codes of practice.

Following the funeral, Mr Argent visited Mrs Coleman with a bunch of flowers and £300 as a 'goodwill gesture', and admitted he had wrongly measured the coffin. She had already paid £7,100 for the funeral and believed he was 'trying to get rid' of her with the offer.

Her brother-in-law has since met Mr Argent to try to resolve the issue, but solicitors acting for the funeral director have said he will not be giving a full refund.

Mrs Coleman, of Alverston Avenue, East Barnet, said: "I think it is horrible and nasty. My husband dying is the worst thing that has ever happened in my life, and Mr Argent's opinion is 'so what?' I had been hoping he might be a half-decent human being. He thinks that £300 is the end of it and I will go away. Human nature says you do not treat people like this.

"I was hoping we would not have to go to court over it, but now we might have to."

John Weir, spokesman for SAIF, said: "Had Oakleigh Funerals been a member of our organisation, Mrs Coleman would have had immediate redress because our members sign up voluntarily to our code of conduct and we also offer an arbitration service.

"Unfortunately the only redress she has is through the civil courts. The sad fact is funeral directors can operate however they wish, although the majority do belong to one association or the other.

"We would have passed the case on to the professional standards committee."

Mr Weir said he wished' he could help resolve the situation, and offered to intervene on Mrs Coleman's behalf.

When contacted this week, Mr Argent said: "The £300 was not compensation. I have not received any notification of a civil case against us and I am not prepared to discuss my client's matters with a third party."

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