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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Michael Howard's father exhumed | Michael Howard's father exhumed |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The body of the father of ex-Tory leader Michael Howard has been exhumed from a vandalised Jewish cemetery and moved to south London. | The body of the father of ex-Tory leader Michael Howard has been exhumed from a vandalised Jewish cemetery and moved to south London. |
| Mr Howard's father Bernard was buried in Townhill Jewish Cemetery in Swansea, south Wales, in 1966. | Mr Howard's father Bernard was buried in Townhill Jewish Cemetery in Swansea, south Wales, in 1966. |
| The Kent MP wanted his father to be buried in London's Bushey Cemetery with his recently-deceased mother. | The Kent MP wanted his father to be buried in London's Bushey Cemetery with his recently-deceased mother. |
| The Swansea cemetery was also restored to a "much more dignified condition" by group United Synagogue, Mr Howard said. | The Swansea cemetery was also restored to a "much more dignified condition" by group United Synagogue, Mr Howard said. |
| Mr Howard, MP for Folkestone and Hythe, was John Major's home secretary in 1993 before becoming the Conservative leader in 2003. | Mr Howard, MP for Folkestone and Hythe, was John Major's home secretary in 1993 before becoming the Conservative leader in 2003. |
| 'Desecration' | 'Desecration' |
| He asked London-based Jewish group United Synagogue (US) to exhume his father's body and help restore the Swansea cemetery. | |
| The 18th Century cemetery had been vandalised and was overgrown with brambles, the group said. | The 18th Century cemetery had been vandalised and was overgrown with brambles, the group said. |
| A US spokesman said: "On learning of the desecration, the US staff spent two days restoring Townhill Cemetery back to a dignified state, with the support of Mr Howard who offered to pay for some of the team's expenses." | A US spokesman said: "On learning of the desecration, the US staff spent two days restoring Townhill Cemetery back to a dignified state, with the support of Mr Howard who offered to pay for some of the team's expenses." |
| Its head of burial services, Melvyn Hartog, said: "The restoration of a non-US cemetery is not something we would normally get involved in but we felt we couldn't leave the cemetery in such disrepair." | Its head of burial services, Melvyn Hartog, said: "The restoration of a non-US cemetery is not something we would normally get involved in but we felt we couldn't leave the cemetery in such disrepair." |
| Mr Howard said he could not "speak highly enough" of the team. | Mr Howard said he could not "speak highly enough" of the team. |
| "The cemetery was in a state of disrepair but after the team's extremely hard work, this very old and important Jewish cemetery has been restored to a much more dignified condition," Mr Howard said. | "The cemetery was in a state of disrepair but after the team's extremely hard work, this very old and important Jewish cemetery has been restored to a much more dignified condition," Mr Howard said. |