Bent graves are ‘unsafe’
Families bewildered after council checks
More than 500 graves at Hamilton’s Bent Cemetery have been deemed “unsafe” by South Lanarkshire Council.
The local authority have started to carry out safety checks as part of a four-year rolling programme.
However, these checks have been branded ‘over the top’ by families of those buried in the cemetery
More than 500 graves at Hamilton’s Bent Cemetery have been deemed “unsafe” by South Lanarkshire Council.
The local authority have started to carry out safety checks as part of a fouryear rolling programme.
In order to make them safe, they have erected wooden fence posts and placed large safety notices on top of gravestones.
However the safety checks have been branded “over the top” by many who have family members buried at the cemetery.
John Mccarroll of High Blantyre, who attends a grave at Bent Cemetery, said: “I think it’s really over the top not to mention the cost involved for every family involved. And I can’t imagine how they are going to track down everyone affected by this.”
Christine Walker, of Hamilton, has been appalled at the news that her father-in-law’s grave, which was placed in the cemetery 19 years ago, has been marked as unsafe.
She said: “It was a really expensive stone and it’s not particularly old.
“I don’t get to go to the graveside very often and depend on other family members checking in on it for me, but when they came back and told me about this I was very annoyed.
“I can’t understand how this stone is not safe.”
This week South Lanarkshire Council say they have made around 500 headstones safe on a temporary basis.
Alistair Mckinnon, head of Support Services, Community and Enterprise Resources, said: “South Lanarkshire Council have a duty of care to make sure that cemeteries are safe both for the public and those who work there.
“To this end, a programme of headstone checks is ongoing across the authority. We anticipate it will be a four-year rolling programme assessing 25 per cent of our headstones per year.
“Whilst this ongoing programme has been in place for a number of years, recent events have resulted in the council formalising the process as an increasing number of headstones were found to be in need of repair and headstone memorials are not owned by the council but by the lair owner.
“So far, approximately 500 headstones have been made safe in the Bent Cemetery on a temporary basis, and we are in the process of contacting the lair owners to let them know that there is an issue with the stability of their headstone.
“A sign is also attached to the headstone with contact information for Bereavement Services.
“The work to identify and make safe is being met from existing resources.
“Our initial advice to owners who get in touch, will be to approach the memorial stonemason who erected the headstone in the event that they may be able to make repair.
“Where contact cannot be made with the lair owner, or in cases where the legal owner is not in a position to make the repair, the headstone will be made safe by laying it flat on the ground or by ‘trenching’ the headstone up to a third of its height to ensure stability.”