A HEARTBROKEN couple who lost their son to a heart attack today claimed two designs they chose for the teenager's headstone were rejected by a York parish council.

The parents of fourteen-year-old Jamie Bucknell, who died last November, have described Strensall and Towthorpe Parish Council's decision as "outrageous."

Keith and Debbie Bucknell said: "It is totally unbelievable. Some people in Strensall Cemetery have etchings of their pets on their headstones, but we can't have an etching of our son."

Keith and Debbie originally wanted to include a digitally-scanned photo of Jamie on the headstone.

But they say the council verbally refused this before an official application was put in, so the couple came up with a second design.

It included an etching of Jamie's face, football boots, and a heart with an arrow through it containing the name of Jamie's girlfriend.

Keith and Debbie, of Brecks Avenue, say they felt that application would be approved.

But they say that yesterday they were told the council had rejected the second design as well.

Keith said: "We are both heartbroken and furious. To be turned down once is bad enough, but twice is outrageous.

"It might sound a bit strange, but in a way we were looking forward to putting the headstone there. The grave has been unmarked since we buried Jamie and we wanted to sort that out. Now we are going to have to wait even longer, it is ridiculous."

Debbie said: "We wanted the stone as soon as possible but this has been going on for five months now, it is so upsetting.

"We just can't see what the problem is. Other cemeteries allow people to have etchings. Why not us?."

Richard Rymer, area manager for Rymers Funeral Service, said Jamie's headstone is with a stonemason waiting for design approval.

Rymers are the funeral directors who dealt with Jamie's burial.

Mr Rymer today confirmed that the first stone design was verbally refused, and that the second was rejected after an official application.

Nothing has been etched yet and so no money has been lost, he said.

He added: "We will be contacting the council to ask to see the rules and regulations regarding headstones in the Strensall and Towthorpe Cemetery.

"We want to know what the stone may need, to try and avoid another application."

Parish council chairman Phillip Thorpe and parish clerk Shirley Walker both declined to comment today.

In the aftermath of Jamie's death, Keith and Debbie joined forces with the Evening Press to set up the Jamie's Have a Heart Appeal in his memory.

It quickly raised enough cash to buy twelve new portable heart monitors for York District Hospital, with the final total £6,000 over target.

The extra money was split between Strensall Medical Practice and the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young.

On Monday, they spoke to the Evening Press to back a brand new CRY research centre in London.

Updated: 11:22 Wednesday, April 17, 2002