Dismay after council lays down unsafe cemetery headstones
Residents visiting Bridlington Cemetery over the festive period have reacted with dismay after a number of grave stones were ‘pushed over’ by East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
A council spokesperson said that, for safety reasons, some headstones which were in danger of toppling over had to be laid down.
However, residents have criticised the timing of the action, questioning why it was done at Christmas.
One resident, who did not want to be named, said: “Around 25 headstones have been pushed over in the cemetery over Christmas week. It now looks like a battlefield – many stones and crosses are badly damaged.
“Why do it during Christmas week when people pay visits to family graves?
“The owners of the stones should have been notified first and the so-called dangerous stones staked up.
“Christmas wreathes were also thrown around.”
Another added: “The council really should have showed more consideration regarding the headstones. It might have been better doing it at another time of the year.
"I can understand the safety aspect but I doubt an L-shaped stone would fall over easily.”
Bridlington Councillor Liam Dealtry, via a Facebook post, said: “Just so you are all aware, the ERYC cemetery department have/are testing for unsafe headstones in Bridlington cemetery (Sewerby Road).
“You may notice some of the unsafe headstones have been laid down on the ground.
“Whilst this in my humble opinion is rather strange, it is, unfortunately, a thing that needs doing due to health and safety issues.
"All plot holders (deeds) will be contacted about the unsafe headstones by the cemetery department.
"Rest assured, should any gravestone be damaged while this happens I will personally ensure that it is rectified.”
A spokesperson for East Riding of Yorkshire Council said: “Unfortunately, for safety reasons, we have had to lay down some headstones which were in danger of toppling over.
“We are in the process of contacting deed holders of the affected graves to inform them of the action they need to take in order to make their headstones safe.
“In cases where there is no longer a deed holder of the grave, which is the majority, the council will arrange for these repairs to be carried out as soon as possible.
“We placed a number of signs in the cemetery to explain why we had to take the action.
“It is the council’s responsibility to ensure our cemeteries remain a safe place to visit and we hope people will understand.”