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(Image: MERCURY)

James Leonard Maddick, son of Lisa Bray and Chris Maddick, died following a bleed to the brain after being born four months prematurely.

Lisa’s uncle, Kevin Mark Penhole, built a memorial stone for the parents, who were unable to afford one.

It was installed on Friday at Margram Crematorium in Neath Port Talbot, South Wales, but whinging cemetery staff deemed it could be dangerous.

The heartbroken parents must now remove it because council chiefs fear it could collapse and fall onto someone.

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Lisa, 26, said: “We are absolutely heartbroken. The memorial stone has only just gone up, and James’ due date is in nine days’ time too.

“I would beg and beg the cemetery staff for them to keep my little boy’s headstone there.

“It is so much nicer for us and our kids to go and see it, instead of just looking at a cross.”

The engaged couple, of Swansea, claim cemetery staff reckon the headstone could fall over.

But angry Chris, 31, said: “We were told we could have anything on the slab in the cemetery, so it was a shock when they phoned us to tell us to remove it. I couldn’t believe it.

“I feel really upset. We have been through so much lately.”

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As a self-employed mechanic, 45-year-old Kevin spent four days crafting the memorial headstone.

He claims it weighs between five and eight kilograms and is fixed securely to the stone slab by industrial strength glue.

Kevin added: “I am massively devastated by the news, it has caused so much heartbreak in the family.

“What was supposed to be a kind gesture on my part has turned into a fiasco.

“For them to say it is not secure is ridiculous.

“Because it is stuck own so well, if we have to remove it, it will damage the stone slab.”

Kevin, who is a carer, has pleaded on Facebook for support of friends and family. His status has been shared and commented on more than 11,000 times.

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A Neath Port Talbot council spokesman said: “"We understand that the death of a loved one, particularly a child, is an extremely emotional and stressful time and we extend our deepest sympathies to the parents and family of James Maddick.

"We have not given any such deadline to remove the memorial as we understand this is a sensitive issue and typically, on the occasion that such circumstances arise, our cemeteries staff will provide close support to resolve the issue and to respect the privacy and feelings of grieving parties.

"We want to help the family to find a resolution and following our initial contact are making further attempts to contact the family directly.

"James is buried at Margam Cemetery, and as is the case with any other cemetery, there are a number of requirements headstones need to fulfil to ensure their longevity, safety and consistency with the surrounding environment.

"These regulations are in place to ensure the cemetery is safe and secure and will stand the test of time to ensure families and friends can visit their loved one in a well maintained environment for many years to come."