A Limburg man has been told by Brunssum town council that he can leave his wife’s grave in their garden after all.

The council had ordered Frenk Windels to dig up his wife Susanna who died unexpectedly of a heart attack in July. He buried her in their garden before the council had taken a decision on whether or not to sanction the grave.

Windels went to court to fight the order to dig up his wife, and judges told the council to take a proper decision within six weeks.

Councillors have now decided the grave can stay, although they still plan to hold another debate on the case, local broadcaster 1Limburg.nl reported.

‘We were happily married for 34 years and we expected to have many more,’ Fred Windels wrote on Facebook ahead of the court hearing. ‘My wife’s last wish was to be buried in the garden which she created.’

Every year officials permit a limited number of garden burials on condition they are far enough from public roads, not visible to third parties and far enough away from sources of drinking water.