76-year-old man who dug up his mother’s grave, took her corpse home, mummified it, and left it on his sofa for 13 years would be charged.

The corpse was found after the man's estranged brother-in-law decided to visit him at his home in the small town of Radlin, southwest Poland.

Noticing him wandering around outside “looking mad”, the brother-in-law decided to call paramedics.

When they entered the property they found the mummified corpse lying on a couch on top of a pile of newspapers dating from 2009.

Police spokeswoman Małgorzata Koniarska said: “We received a report in connection with the disclosure of the body from a family member of the owner of the apartment.

“The policemen went to Ul. Rogozina in Radlin. In the part of the house belonging to an elderly man, a mummified corpse was discovered.”

Joanna Smorczewska from the District Prosecutor's Office said: “According to the DNA content, the mummified corpse is that of a woman, Jadwiga L., who died in January 2010, and thus Marian L.'s mother.

“It was established that the grave of Jadwiga L., where she was buried on January 16, 2010, remains empty.

“It is likely that the man dug up the mother's body immediately after its burial and then mummified it and the body has remained in this house since 2010.”

It is thought that Marian L. who lives just 300 metres from the cemetery may have taken the corpse home on his bike.

Head of the district prosecutor's office Marcin Felsztyński added: “Everything indicates that the man must have used some chemicals to mummify the corpse.

“The smell of mothballs was noticeable.”

The body was apparently in “perfect condition” regardless.

Although the initial discovery was made in February, the news is only now being reported following the suspect being charged with desecration of a corpse.

According to local media, Marian L. was a loner and his neighbours didn't even know his name.

One said: “He always left the house at night, took his bike and went into the unknown.”

His mother will be reburied.