A man has spoken of his utter shock at discovering his own gravestone in a nearby cemetery.
Alan Hattel, from Forfar, Scotland, is very much alive but says he was gobsmacked when he came across a headstone with his name emblazoned across it.
The 75-year-old now wants to make sure as many people as possible know that he has not shuffled off this mortal coil and that he is definitely NOT dead.
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Speaking about his odd predicament, the retired welder said it had completely wrecked his social life.
He said: "My phone hasn't rung for three or four months. I've been confused by it all but now I know why nobody has been calling.
"I don't even want to be buried - I plan to be cremated."
He added: "I'm still alive."
Mr Hattle blames his ex-wife for the whole affair, which he said was 'like something out of Only Fools and Horses'.
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He says she had bought the plot of land with the plan that they would be buried together. At the moment, both of their names are written on the gravestone.
The father-of-two said: "I've never, ever said I wanted to be buried alongside my ex-wife. We've been separated 26 years and there's no animosity but I'm struggling to take it all in.
"To find out you have a gravestone in a cemetery while you are still alive isn't something that happens every day."
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Since making the discovery, Mr Hattle has contacted Angus Council and plans to have it covered over.
Mr Hattel's local newspaper visited the home of his ex-wife, to ask about how the gravestone came to include his name, but they were unable to speak to her.
Instead a member of her family said: "This is a family matter being dealt with privately."
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After being approached for comment on the bizarre story, Angus Council said it was unable to discuss the issue or disclose any information about who purchased the plot as it was a confidential matter.
As horrifying as this story is, it's not the first time someone who was very much alive has been declared dead.
Last year, a family from village of Tomarly in Kazakhstan, got the shock of their lives when their 'dead and buried' relative strolled up two months after his own funeral.
Aigali Supugaliev, 64, had been reported missing by his family in July last year.
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Two months later, they were given the news that a badly decomposed body had been found and that a DNA test showed the likelihood of it being their missing relative was 99.92 percent, which is the highest percentage such a test can give.
Featured Image Credit: Paul ReidTopics: UK News, Interesting, Weird, Scotland