Outrage at “disrespectful” gravestones inspections in Glasgow

Cemetery visitors across Glasgow have expressed frustration at “disrespectful” inspections, with dozens of official warning stickers being placed on gravestones.

Glasgow City Council teams are inspecting gravestones to ensure that they are not at risk of falling over – a process which was triggered by the death of an eight-year old Glasgow boy nearly a decade ago.

Ciaran Williamson was killed by a falling headstone at Cardonald’s Craigton Cemetery in 2015, with an enquiry finding that his death ‘could have been prevented’.

While walking her dog in Riddrie Cemetery this week, hairdresser Pauline Dunlop was shocked to see “very unsightly” warning stickers on some headstones.

She told Clyde 1: “I can’t imagine what it must feel like for some people to come up and pay respects to their loved ones and there is a horrible big sticker.”

Pauline feels that these “tacky” stickers have “just been put on random graves that really I don’t see anything wrong with.” She thinks that “Glasgow City Council could have handled the situation in a more respectful way.”

Many of the stickers cover the lettering on gravestones and inform that the memorial has failed to meet the required safety standards. Branded with the Glasgow City Council logo, the notices include a phone number that family members are urged to call to arrange to pay for repairs.

Social media users on Facebook called the council’s actions “disgusting” and a “disgrace”.

A local dogwalker from Summerston told Clyde 1 that he witnessed inspectors at the Western Necropolis physically shaking gravestones. He refers to their actions as “absolutely ridiculous” and confronted council workers for toppling a number of headstones.

Following Ciaran’s tragic death in 2015, many gravestones at Craigton Cemetery were laid flat, as approximately 900 memorials were deemed unsafe.

Glasgow City Council says public safety is the "absolute priority" and regular inspections of headstones is a “statutory obligation”

A Glasgow City Council spokesperson told Clyde 1: “As owners themselves pass on, identifying a person to take responsibility for headstone maintenance can become very challenging.

“Applying these notices to headstones is an effective way to reach out to families and they have helped us to make contact with people who have an interest in undertaking necessary repairs.

“Headstone maintenance is not a service we provide and families must privately engage an appropriate stone mason to complete any work.

“As a last resort, headstones will be laid flat to ensure public safety, although we know this can cause upset to families when they become aware of the poor condition of their family members’ memorial.”

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