A gravestone thought to date from the 15th century has been badly damaged following an “accident” possibly involving a ride-on lawn mower.
A large chunk of the flat lying gravestone which features two statues of still born babies has been smashed off, leaving an obvious scar to the historic stone.
The otherwise unmarked grave lies in the Church of St Nicholas, Main Street, Wetwang.
At a meeting of Wetwang Parish Council on Monday 3 June, councillors received a report the stone had been damaged, however the cause as yet remains unclear.
Wetwang Parish Council chairman Frank Wilson said: “We are going to notify the council and ask someone to come out. It is thought to have been done by a ride-on lawn mower.
“It is quite a unique stone depicting two still born children. Quite a big chunk has been taken out of it. It is just an accident. Unfortunately it is damaged and I understand that it is quite old.
“It certainly needs fixing.”
Church warden Gavin Chapman said: “It is one of those things which have always been a point of interest in the village.”
He said the church is legally described as closed, meaning the graveyard is no longer open to new burials.
Local history enthusiast Bishop David Lunn said: “The stone is very ancient, and is believed to date from about the 15th century.
“There is no inscription on it and no one has ever seen anything like it.
“It has always been treasured and we feel that there must be a sad story behind it.”
East Riding of Yorkshire Council grounds maintenance cut the grass in the churchyard, but it is unknown what caused the damage to the gravestone.
John Skidmore, head of streetscene services at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said the council had made arrangements to meet representatives of the parish council in the morning of Wednesday 5 June to assess the damage.