A COUPLE who witnessed the exhumation of their son say they have been "sent to hell and back".

The remains of Christopher Rochester, who died aged 24 after a balcony fall on the Greek island of Rhodes in 2000, were carefully taken from his grave by police crime scene investigators on Sunday night.

Mother Pam and stepfather George Cummings believe Christopher would have survived had he received proper hospital treatment and an inquest the following year ruled that neglect by medical staff contributed to his death.

When his body was flown home, the left kidney was missing and when one was sent later, a DNA test showed that it was not Christopher's.

Christopher's remains were taken to a hospital mortuary where DNA samples were taken in the hope of ending the saga.

Work began after dark on Sunday night at the Ropery Lane Cemetery in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, His parents, sister Liz, 18, and girlfriend Maggie Jones, 41, comforted each other as the grim task began at midnight inside a tent placed over the grave with floodlights providing illumination.

The Cummings say Christopher's left kidney was removed to cover up the neglect that led to his death in hospital and an organ sent to them later was proven by their own DNA test to be someone else's.

The Greek authorities insisted on a new test with a DNA sample from Christopher's remains - even though experts say alternative reliable sources are available.

That test will be carried out at a laboratory in Belgium and the family believe it will confirm the first results.

They vowed to go ahead with the exhumation, despite the heartache they would suffer, because they believe it will secure the justice they seek.

Mrs Cummings said: " It was quite traumatic and I am glad it is over with.

"We have had to go through with it - we have had no choice - and now it is up to the Greeks.

"The ball is in their court and it is what they do with it now that is important..

"I hope it doesn't take too long. When we get the results back I hope the Greeks act upon it.

"They have sent us to hell and back over the last 11 years. It has been horrendous.''

Her husband said that the family hoped a good DNA sample would be obtained quickly so that Christopher could be reburied following a short family-only service. A Durham Police spokesman said: "The exhumation was completed by around 3am on Monday morning, with no major problems encountered.

"The samples taken from Christopher's remains will now be transferred to the independent laboratory in Belgium for analysis, but at this stage there is no indication how long that process will take."