A GRIEVING widow says she will now be able to place a headstone on her husband's grave in time for what would have been his birthday.

We reported yesterday that Rachel Jones had been left devastated after being told a £2,600 headstone she bought to remember her husband months ago could be unveiled for his birthday on Saturday.

But now, the stonemason involved has renewed his registration to a trade body which means Torfaen council will now allow him to place the stone on the grave, Mrs Jones said today.

Mrs Jones, 42, started saving for the memorial after her husband Dean died of internal bleeding which led to blood loss to the heart or hypovolemic shock last August.

The former Talywain rugby club flanker would have celebrated his 47th birthday this Saturday.

Mrs Jones said she had paid stonemasons WJ Lawrence Memorials £2,000 in instalments in October and November.

She told us this week she found out the monument could not be placed at his resting place in Blaenavon because the firm had failed to renew its membership with the British Register of Accredited Memorial Masons (Bramm). The firm’s accreditation had lapsed at the end of September.

A Torfaen council spokesman told us then: “Until we receive notification that they are registered with Bramm we are unable to allow WJ Lawrence to erect a memorial in any cemetery in Torfaen."

The mum-of-two of Clos Y Godlan has now been told the situation has been resolved. She said today stonemason WJ Lawrence is now back on the register and understands the deadline is this Friday (tomorrow) for the work to be done at the cemetery.

She said WJ Lawrence were therefore prepared to do the work this week, which would mean the headstone can be installed at the cemetery before her husband’s birthday on Saturday.

A Bramm spokeswoman said this morning: “We have received the registration fee and as far as we are concerned that’s fine and the firm is back on the register."

Earlier this week Bramm said WJ Lawrence’s registration had lapsed at the end of September.

WJ Lawrence Memorials, based in Abertillery, had said on Monday the firm was in the process of renewing their registration with BRAMM.