A grieving family have told of their pain after tributes placed at their five-year-old's grave were damaged.

Footprints and tyre marks were discovered in floral arrangements when friends and family went to tend Tia Goode's grave.

Flowers in the shape of a cross were broken, other bunches of flowers were snapped and a floral teddy bear had been knocked over.

They fear Tendring Council staff working on nearby plots at the Burrs Road cemetery in Clacton could be to blame.

Tia Goode, of Tulip Way, Clacton, had battled a rare form of leukaemia since she was three but died of a brain haemorrhage.

The former pupil at Coppins Green Primary School, in Clacton, was buried less than two weeks ago.

Fenella Clapham, Tia's grandma, said: "The grave was left in a disgusting state.

"It looks like they've dug some new graves and thrown the mud all over the place, including on Tia's headstone.

"There is a big footprint on one of the crosses and three bunches of flowers are broken. It has broken Melissa and Darren's (Tia's mum and dad) hearts."

Nigel Brown, Tendring Council's communications manager, said the council had received Mrs Clapham's complaint and would investigate it thoroughly.

"We take her complaint very seriously but we need to speak to a number of people and gather as much information as we can before we go back to her with a full response," he said.

"We deeply regret any damage to any grave at the cemetery, however it may have been caused, and the obvious upset that this has caused the family at what is a very difficult time for them."