FAMILY’S ANGUISH
Daughter raging with grave notice
The furore over ‘disrespectful’ council notices on gravestones at Philipshill Cemetery raged on this week – over 400 miles from East Kilbride. Andrea Crosby told the News she was “disgusted” to discover the headstone on her mum, dad and sister’s grave was one of dozens branded unsafe by South Lanarkshire Council.
The bereaved former Murray resident now lives in Surrey and was devastated to find out on her mum’s birthday that the local authority had erected an eyesore wooden stake and a safety notice at the plot.
The move is part of a rolling programme of inspections by the council who insists it has a duty of care to provide a safe environment in its cemeteries.
Andrea, 53, said: “I was already upset with it being my mother’s birthday – to be told this was absolutely devastating.
“I think it’s disgusting and completely insensitive of the council to do this to the headstones of people’s loved ones.”
A devastated daughter discovered her sister and parents’ headstone was branded unsafe by the council – while she lives more than 400 miles from her home town.
The News told previously how South Lanarkshire Council placed eyesore wooden stakes and safety notices on dozens of headstones at Philipshill Cemetery, warning lair owners about stability issues.
The move is part of a rolling programme of inspections by the council, who insists it has a duty of care to provide a safe environment in its cemeteries.
However, shocked plot owners and relatives of the deceased have hit back, branding the council out of order and disrespectful towards bereaved families.
Bernadette Thomson from Calderwood accused the local authority of lacking compassion after her recently-deceased mother’s grave was staked up.
And St Leonards couple Davie Thomas and Sharon McCallum hit out when when they noticed one of the signs on Ms McCallum’s brother’s headstone.
Now Andrea Crosby has told the News she was “disgusted” when she found out about the unsightly signs after her cousin Alison Alford, who lives locally, went to lay flowers on her mother’s grave on her birthday.
The 53-year-old former Murray resident, who now lives in Farnham, Surrey, said: “I was already upset with it being my mother’s birthday. To be told this was absolutely devastating.
“I think it’s totally wrong, disgusting and completely insensitive of the council to do this to the headstones of people’s loved ones.”
The notice instructs lair owners to contact the memorial mason to make the necessary repairs.
But with three family members buried in the same plot – sister Sharon Aitsaid and parents William and Elizabeth McCulloch – Mrs Crosby says she isn’t willing to shell out what she reckons could set her back at least £1000 to reset such a large headstone.
“I think it should be down to the council to take care of this,” she said.
“Headstones should be put in place to last a lifetime for loved ones and should not be moved.
“I don’t feel comfortable with this at all. It’s health and safety gone nuts.”
Mrs Crosby added: “It’s not something we as a family or any of the other people reported in the East Kilbride News ever expected when they laid their loved ones to rest.
“Surely families need definite proof that the headstone is dangerous or is it the ground? Some families will now be getting an expensive bill this side of Christmas.”
Alistair McKinnon, the council’s head of facilities, waste and grounds services, said: “South Lanarkshire Council has a duty of care to provide a safe environment in each of our 55 cemeteries and churchyards, both for the public who visit them and council employees who work there.
“As a result we have implemented an ongoing rolling programme of headstone inspections.
“The headstone in question, within Philipshill Cemetery, was identified as being unsafe.
“Unfortunately bereavement services was not able to write to the lair owner as he is interred in this lair.
“As we had no further contact details for the next of kin a notice was attached to the stone, advising we had identified an issue and asking family to get in touch.
“We also advertise on notice boards at the entrance to those cemeteries or churchyards where inspection work is underway.
“As a result of this Mrs Crosby has been in contact with bereavement services and we remain in discussion with her.
“Given that there are more than 60,000 headstones, we can only contact wider family where we have up-to-date contact details.
“South Lanarkshire Council will replace the foundation at no charge. “However, it is the responsibility of the customer to instruct a memorial mason to reerect the headstone and pay for this
work.”
I think it’s totally wrong to do this to the headstones of people’s loved ones...