Council leaders were criticised after they flattened more than 170 gravestones without telling church officials.

A church court ruled Keynsham town council should have sought permission from the Bath and Wells diocese, before toppling the gravestones which were unsafe.

But it also felt the council had no option but to carry out the changes and has decided to grant retrospective permission.

The ruling means people upset about the gravestones being moved may now be able to claim compensation.

Some headstones were left lying on their backs

Anne Bibbings, who has relatives buried in the cemetery, said: "People are very upset about this.

"The first they knew about it was when they came to the cemetery and found their loved ones' headstones lying flat on their backs and, in at least one case, lying face down in the mud.

"That seems to me to be most disrespectful.

"Now it seems the only recourse is to seek compensation through the small claims courts."

'Landmark case'

Elaine Giles, clerk of Keynsham town council, said: "We acted in the interests of health and safety.

"It was an oversight - we hadn't appreciated that we needed to get permission to do the work on consecrated ground.

"We are looking at this ruling and at what we can do in the way of reinstatement."

Sam Weller, chairman of the association of burial authorities, said: "This is a landmark case and helpful in establishing baselines from which the industry can work."