Reburial bill hits almost £300k at water graves
Manleft seriously injured aftercrash
A man is in hospital with serious injuries following a crash involving two vans near Ayr Hospital last Thursday.
Police are now appealing for witnesses to come forward after the incident closed the road at around 10.25am on the A713. The crash involved a white Volkswagen caddy Van and a white Renault box van.
Emergency services attended and a 62-year-old man was taken to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital by ambulance, where his injuries were described as serious. The driver of the second van, a 43-year-old man, was taken to Ayr Hospital with minor injuries.
Sergeant Gordon Stewart said: “Our enquiries into this collision are ongoing and we would like to ask anyone that was in the area at the time who has not already spoken to us to please get in touch. We would also be keen to see any dashcam or private CCTV footage from the area around the time of the crash.”
Anyone with information can contact police on 101 quoting incident number 0998.
Council chiefs have spent almost £300,000 on reburying loved ones at the scandal-hit Ayr Cemetery.
A total figure of the cost of reinterment has been revealed just as works on chambers at South Ayrshire’s largest burial ground concluded.
A water-ingress crisis hit the Holmston Road facility more than two years ago when water was seen leaking out of tombs that were supposed to be watertight and airtight. The grim discovery that all 126 graves at the cemetery’s newest ‘extension’ site were affected rocked devastated families who feared that their deceased relatives were ‘floating’ in their final resting place.
Specialist exhumer Peter Mitchell was drafted in by South Ayrshire Council after it was confirmed that each occupied grave would need to be exhumed.
It has now been revealed that the council spent a total of £284,000 on the process with the total figure including services, floral tributes and costs for funeral directors.
It comes as work continues at
Troon Cemetery where the same water-ingress crisis was discovered.
The Post last month reported that 81 graves were affected with 51 of those occupied.
A South Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “Work on all occupied chambers in Ayr Cemetery is complete, and the specialist team are now working on chambers at Troon Cemetery. We know that this has been an extremely distressing time for families, and we have been in regular contact with them throughout this process. We will continue to offer support and liaise with them directly.”
A spokesperson further added: “We have been working closely with families to ensure that all of their wishes are met for the care and reinterment of their loved ones. Each family has individual requirements for the re-interment of their loved one and we have, where possible, fully absorbed those costs.
“The figure is around £284,000 this includes services, floral tributes, the services of funeral directors. The council has also provided support for families through bereavement counselling and will continue to offer support and liaise with families directly.”