Grave concerns as cemetery seeking headstone funding
APPEAL FOR FAMILIES TO COME FORWARD
A CEMETERY is appealing to families in Hull and East Yorkshire to help save the headstones of relatives, which are at risk of being removed and laid down.
Serious repairs are urgently needed to dozens of gravestones, but families must claim them and help pay for the work.
The damaged headstones will be removed if not fixed by a deadline next month.
Kirton in Lindsey Town Council, in North Lincolnshire, has found 118 headstones that violate health and safety regulations and would put people at risk when visiting the grounds.
Officials believe the graves include the remains of people related to families now living on the North Bank.
A total of 59 memorial stones are still unclaimed by family members and the council will soon have no choice but to remove them from their upright position and lay them down in their damaged state.
The cut-off point for getting in touch with the town council is 4pm on July 14, 2022.
The council said a decision to lie down the stones would be “a sad one which is not taken lightly”.
Councillor Suzanne Stephenson said: “We recently had an independent inspection undertaken of all graves and headstones, which unfortunately showed 118 of them required repair, some major.
“The owners of 34 graves have organised and paid for remedial work and we are grateful for their swift action.”
Cllr Stephenson added: “Unfortunately, about 59 gravestones remain in a hazardous condition. Several graves have had their inspection boards removed, but owners [or] relatives have not necessarily contacted the council and they need to do so urgently.
“We have tried to contact owners and relatives, but the situation about the headstones cannot be left any longer.
“Leaving the memorial stones standing in disrepair is a potential hazard to visitors to the cemetery.”
Anyone who believes a relative may be buried in the cemetery should contact the town council by July 14. Contact details are available on the council’s website.