The incumbent applied for a restoration order against a Dr Verdaguer, who, it was alleged, had – without the consent of the incumbent or any other lawful authority – interred certain items in the churchyard of St Aidan, Throckington. An article in the local press had stated that these included cremated remains of the author Tom Sharpe, a bottle of whisky, a cigar and a pen which had belonged to Sharpe, that they had been buried by the respondent and that she had been accompanied by a Spanish film crew. In subsequent correspondence with the incumbent, the respondent admitted that she had buried items in the churchyard but not human remains. The application sought an order that the items be unearthed and the site restored to its previous condition. The application was served on the respondent, who lived in Spain. By the time of the hearing no response had been received from the respondent. Following the hearing the chancellor directed that any items which might have been illegally buried were to be unearthed by the Parochial Church Council and delivered to the incumbent, who was to report to the court. The ground was then to be restored. The incumbent subsequently reported that the items unearthed included cremated remains, a bottle of whisky, a fountain pen, two small candles and two red plastic numerals. A response to the application was received from the respondent after the hearing. She stated that she had buried an empty urn, a pen, a small bottle of whisky, a cigar, a small plaque and some roses. She denied that any ashes had been buried. The chancellor, accepting the evidence of the incumbent as to the nature of the ashes which had been unearthed and the surrounding evidence, rejected the respondent's denial that any human remains had been buried by her. He held that what she had done was wholly unauthorised, a clear trespass and entirely disrespectful of those properly and lawfully interred in the churchyard. She was ordered to pay the costs of the application. [Alexander McGregor]