A FURIOUS family claim they were "locked out of their late mum's flat" as they attempted to collect her possessions and their dad’s ashes.

Beloved grandmother Margaret Seaman passed away earlier this year but her son, David, claims the locks were changed on her council home and family were unable to get inside when they tried to collect her remaining belongings over the weekend.

David, 60, also believes some of her belongings are “missing”, including a sentimental ring, and has been left furious at South Essex Homes, which manages Southend Council’s social housing stock, over the ordeal.

South Essex Homes has stated it is trying to contact the family to make arrangement’s for Margaret’s belongings.

Margaret had lived in the home, in Delaware Road, for 22 years.

David said: “Some of what was left may be small to some, but it is big for me and my family. They were meant to have put up a notice and they didn’t.

“We had to deal with this after mum’s cremation and there were several things left in the flat, including an electric chair, the remains of my dad’s ashes, a lawnmower and cabinet.

“These were all things we wanted, and we felt that my dad’s ashes should have been the last thing to leave her home after 22 years.”

David’s sister attempted to visit the home to collect items days after her funeral, but found “the locks had been changed”.

He added: “We went down one morning, and the locks were changed, I got a call from my sister, horrified at it.

“I rang the council office and they said they had changed the locks, they wondered why there was a lawnmower and a ‘box of junk’.”

Mr Seaman added that the keys were delivered to the family to allow them to remove belongings from the flat but when they re-entered, they found their mum’s keys, which has been left and had a sentimental ring attached, were missing.

“It is small but you try to keep hold of them, in a way, which is why it matters to us,” Mr Seaman said.

A spokesman for Essex Home’s tenancy team said: “We are aware of this case and are eager to make contact with the family to discuss the matter and to make arrangements regarding the former tenant’s belongings.”