Scarborough Borough Council's commitment to graveyard safety after resident complaints

In June of this year, Scarborough Borough Council announced a safety audit of headstones in three Scarborough cemeteries and one Whitby cemetery.

Some gravestones - deemed unsafe by the inspectors - have even had to be laid flat on the floor.

However, in recent days there have been a number of concerns from residents, while the story has also been covered in national newspapers and on the BBC Radio 2 Jeremy Vine show.

These concerns covered a lack of communication, repair fees and the sensitivity of the audit.

A spokesperson for Scarborough Borough Council said: “A sensitive audit of memorial headstones in our three cemeteries to check they are stable and don’t pose a safety risk to people that visit the cemeteries and the staff that work in them, began in July and is continuing.

“No headstones have been damaged by our staff and contractors. They are not pushed over but if they pose an immediate safety risk they may be carefully laid down and positioned on the grave face up so that the inscription can still be read.

“The small signs attached to the headstones advise people to contact us if they have any queries. We do our very best to place the signs without obscuring the memorial text.

“We do not charge any fees for repair. Stone mason fees may vary and any recent stones (within 10 years) should still be under warranty from the stonemason and be made safe free of charge.”

The original press release stated that the council’s bereavement team will inform a grave’s last known owner if the headstone is deemed unsafe, as well as a notice being placed by the memorial stating the reason for staking and who to contact for further information.

It also said only when absolutely necessary will a memorial be laid flat.

A visual test of each memorial will take place to look for cracks, unsecure joints and unstable foundations. A gentle hand push test, carried out sensitively, will also be used to identify any movement between the different parts of the memorial.

“Communications about the work were carried out from early June to give people plenty of notice.

“This included putting up signs throughout the cemeteries, which are still in place, an article in the June edition of our digital newsletter, Residents’ News, which goes to around 40,000 subscribers, a news release to print, online and broadcast media and information booklets at local stonemasons.

“We added a digital version of the booklet to our website and put information on our social media channels.

“We also wrote directly to owners of graves that were deemed unsafe.”

The audit is expected to finish by March 2023.