A NEW Forest vicar who had gravestones moved to make way for a church hall has said wall plaques can replace the missing memorials.

Several gravestones at All Saints' Church, Hordle, were moved without the permission of relatives of the deceased before construction of the £575,000 hall began.

It was one of several issues that angered villagers.

An objectors' action committee prompted a consistory court which gave Hordle Parochial Church Council and Canon Michael Anderson permission to continue.

Now, with the opening in sight, Canon Anderson and church wardens Trevor Hipkin and Julian Hood have written a letter which is being delivered to every door in the parish.

In it they say: "We accept our own share of responsibility for the past misunderstandings and breakdowns in communication.

"To any who have been offended we offer our sincere regrets, coupled with a desire to move forward into a new relationship with all the people of Hordle.

"We are deeply grateful for the continued support and prayers of our members.

"We recognise that they have been upset, hurt and torn at different times and that they, above all, want to end any residual division within the village.

"We should also like to say that several of the relatives directly affected by the project have asked about installing memorial plaques on the exterior wall of the new Memorial Hall."

The Rev Graham Smith, who speaks on behalf of Canon Anderson, confirmed: "For those who want them, the plaques will go up on the wall."

Objectors' action committee spokesman Tim Boyce said: "It's nice to see them at last making some statement of regret. But it's not an apology. It's too little, too late."

Joan Hansford, 74, had been upset to find her grandparents' gravestones had been removed without notice and has not been contacted about a plaque.

She would welcome a visit from Mr Smith.

"I wish I could have him in my kitchen and I would let him know how I felt about it," she said.

Brian Hansford of Tiptoe also had his grandparents' graves removed.

He said: "We haven't approached the church and the church haven't approached us."

He doesn't want a wall plaque.

"It came up at the court hearing," he said. "We were against it then. I don't want anything to do with the church down there again.

"I thought that if that's the way church people conduct themselves, I don't want to know."

First published: Oct 6