Grieving son upset by headstone ‘advert’

Hassan Musto lost his father to testicular cancer in September last year.

Kimal Musto is buried in St Luke's cemetary, Magpie Hall Lane, Bromley, and last week saw the delivery of his £1,300 headstone.

But his family were astonished to find the name of funeral director Francis Chappell carved into the back of the headstone in three-inch high gold letters.

Mr Musto, of Sandford Road, Bromley, said: "This is meant to be a showcase for my dad, not an advertising board."

The headstone order form does state the company will include its trademark alongside the grave number.

But the 38-year-old says the details of this are easily missed.

He said: "Obviously I signed the documents but it is hardly transparent. They will be advertising off a dead man's back.

"They just kept saying you signed it'."

Mr Musto, who is a dispatch manager for an advertising firm, says Francis Chappell claimed the trademark is necessary so they can be contacted if the stone falls over.

But Bromley Council say this is not a standard requirement.

He said: "The fact it is visible at eye-level clearly makes it advertising. It is not discreetly placed there for the purposes they say it is."

Following what Mr Musto says were "lots of arguments and grief", Francis Chappell has agreed to replace the stone, minus the trademark, for free.

He says the company has also agreed to change its stationery to make it clearer headstones will include a trademark.

Mr Musto added: "I was going to accept nothing less. They deliberately mislead me and I was going to take legal action.

"I don't want people to be duped into free advertising. Francis Chappell should not exploit the grieving."

A spokesman for the firm said: "We would like to offer our apologies to Mr Musto.

"Obviously we are concerned our client did not feel this had been made clear to him at the time he signed the order form.

"We are therefore looking at how we can make this clearer to our clients in the future."