Na wa ooooooo!

A family who sent text messages to a mobile phone buried with their late grandmother were horrified when they started receiving replies.

Lesley Emerson's family placed her mobile into the coffin with her after she died aged 59 because she enjoyed texting her loved ones.

They occasionally sent the dearly-missed grandmother a message as a way of coping with their grief, but were petrified when the number sent back a reply.

Lesley Emerson was buried with her mobile phone when she died so her family could text her as a way of dealing with their grief. But yesterday Sheri Emerson (pictured with her uncle Graham Emerson) received a reply which said: I'm watching over you.'

The mysterious reply came more than three years after Mrs Emerson's death, despite O2 promising to put the phone number out of service

Mrs Emerson, from South Shields, died from bowel cancer in July 2011 at the age of 59

Mrs Emerson's granddaughter, Sheri, sent a text to her late grandmother yesterday, but her blood ran cold when the number replied: 'I'm watching over you, you'll get thought this, you'll be all right.'

She received two more messages from the mystery user, the first of which said: 'I'm watching over you and it's all going to get better. Just push through.'

After Ms Emerson, a care worker from South Shields, replied asking who sent the text, she received a bizarre response, which said: 'A disturbing vegetarian.'

The 22-year-old said: 'I felt sick when I read it, I was in shock, I didn't know what to think.

'I'd sent a message on Wednesday night telling her about family life and then I got the reply on Thursday.

'Obviously we know that nan wasn't going to ever reply, it was just something we did as a comfort for ourselves, because she loved to text.

'So you can imagine what I was thinking seeing a message flash up from her.

'The person must have realised what was going on and they replied that they were sorry.'

Mrs Emerson died of bowel cancer in July 2011 and was buried with her favourite things - including her mobile phone. 

After her death, network provider O2 had promised the number would not be given to anyone else - something that is usually done after a phone line goes out of service.

But three years after she passed, another customer was given the number and started receiving the texts from the Emerson family.   

During the last three years, Ms Emerson, along with her father John Emerson, 42, and uncle Graham Emerson, 29, have sent messages to Lesley's mobile for comfort.

Graham then rang his mother's phone and spoke to a man who said he had been using her old number for the last few weeks.

 

Mrs Emerson was buried in Harton Cemetery, South Shields, alongside her favourite possessions 

John, from Whitburn, South Tyneside, said: 'After my mam died I rang O2 and said can I pay to keep her number.

'They said there was no need as they would disconnect it and it would be hers.

'We are a big family of texters, if we ever fell out or had something to say, we'd always just send a message, that's why we buried her with her phone.

'So to think someone else now has our mam's number is just awful, we can't believe O2 has done this.

'I can't bear to visit mum's graveside. For me that was a way to still feel connected to her.'

An O2 spokesman said: 'We’ve been in touch with Graham Emerson to explain the situation and apologised for any distress this is causing him and his family. 

'He is very grateful for our support and understands we are doing all we can to help.'