A man's funeral was delayed by five weeks after his windpipe was mistakenly placed in another body.

Referee and football organiser Andrew Bandelow, 35, died of a blood clot on his left lung on May 16.

Mr Bandelow collapsed at his home after returning from a referee's meeting.

His trachea was removed during a pathology examination at Lincoln County Hospital and was then sewn into another body.

Andrew's mother, Carol, 58, said her son had been treated like a "lump of meat"

and "it's a horror story".

"The weeks we had to wait were horrendous. I can't think of any other words...I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy," she said.

It is reported that Carol had received a call from the coroner a week after her son died and informed her that two tracheas had been found in another body - one of them belonging to her son.

It has emerged that three bodies, including Mr Bandelow's, were examined in the same room on the same day. Once the error was realised, Mr Bandelow's body and and the third body were opened up again to check for a missing trachea.

After DNA testing, Mr Bandelow's body was cut open for a third time to have the correct organ put back in.

Mr Bandelow's funeral took place on Wednesday, after a delay of about five weeks.

It is understood the family are now seeking compensation from Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Trust.

The trust, which provides pathology services to Lincoln County Hospital under contract, has apologised and has ensured that new procedures are in place to prevent such a scenario happening again.

In a statement the trust said: "The families of both patients were informed immediately.

"We would send our sincere apologies to the family of both patients involved".

(DS)