The charcoal grey memorial is now in Mr Jones' garden

Bob Jones placed the charcoal grey vase in Tumble Cemetery last year in memory of Anna, his wife for 58 years.

But Llannon Community Council, which runs the cemetery, demanded it was removed because it was not black.

The chairman said he sympathised with Mr Jones, but the council had to stick to the rules.

When the letter came saying they would move it, it really hit me Bob Jones

Councillors were asked to relax their policy but when a vote was taken the majority said the vase must go.

They said making an exception for Mr Jones would not be fair on others who had obeyed it.

The memorial is now in Mr Jones' front garden and the pensioner said the row had made him ill with worry and left him "in deep shock".

He said when the council sent him a letter explaining unless he removed it the vase would be placed in storage, he had chest pains and was admitted to hospital overnight.

"It's been terrible. I was in deep shock," he said.

"I never thought about the colour. It has been there since last Easter. Then when the letter came saying they would move it, it really hit me.

Bob Jones hopes the community council will change its mind

"I doubt they'll change their minds but you never know what will happen. I do feel very upset."

Carmarthenshire councillor Neil Baker made representations on Mr Jones' behalf and said the memorial was so dark in colour the community council should relax the rule.

"The last thing you want if you have just lost a wife of many, many years is additional upset and this has given Mr Jones a lot more worry," he said.

"I think they have good grounds to relax the rule on this occasion because it is so dark, even if they want to maintain the rule that it should be black.

"I think the community council decided they had to make a test case of this in some respects.

"I think it could have been dealt with a lot more sensitively."

Community council chairman Terry Evans said the all-black policy was introduced more than a year ago.