Petition calls to stop councils from toppling headstones in cemeteries
Desmond Barr says families are 'horrified' when discovering their loved one's memorial has been laid flat on the ground
A man from Paisley is calling on Renfrewshire Council to stop flattening headstones in graveyards – calling the safety measure "bewildering" for local families.
Desmond Barr, chair of the Friends of Hawkhead Cemetry group, started a petition asking for the local authority to consider staking the headstones instead, if they are identified as being at risk of falling over.
Renfrewshire Council topples headstones as part of health and safety regulations set by the Scottish Government, and figures show that around 1500 gravestones have been laid flat in the area.
But Desmond said communication is an issue, with many families arriving to pay respects to loved ones, only to find the headstone is no longer upright.
He said it also causes issues for groundskeepers who can no longer cut the grass surrounding the headstone.
Councils across Scotland were issued with national guidance on headstone safety after the tragic death of an 8-year-old boy.
Ciaran Williamson was critically injured in Craigton Cemetery in Cardonald, Glasgow, on 26 May 2015 when a 7ft memorial fell and landed on top of him.
A Fatal Accident Inquiry concluded Glasgow City Council did not have "an active system of inspection to ensure the safety and stability of memorials".
Since 2020, Renfrewshire Council has been carrying out a programme of inspections on 57,000 lairs across nine cemeteries and 12 churchyards. The project is 93% complete.
READ MORE: Heartbroken mum talks at probe into death of her son in graveyard
'Families are bewildered'
Desmond said: "For the last three and a half years, Renfrewshire Council has been involved in a memorial safety project which basically involves inspecting the headstones within the various cemeteries and graveyards within Renfrewshire.
"The whole issue of inspecting headstones to ensure they're safe and they're not in danger of falling is a major concern and something that we endorse very much. Our whole concern is that Renfrewshire Council do not engage in the first instance with the lair holder.
"We're asking if they could improve their communication with lair holders and more importantly not to drop the headstones, not to lay them flat, but to stake the headstones and to show a wee bit of respect and a bit of dignity for the graves and for the people that are buried.
"Families are absolutely bewildered, looking for their headstone and they see it lying on the ground and they think this is wrong, completely wrong and they're basically horrified at what they're discovering."
'Act with a bit of dignity'
Desmond explained there are alternative methods used in other parts of Scotland which allows headstones to remain upright.
He added: "If you take East Renfrewshire, our neighbouring local authority, there are no headstones flat there. They would put out four wooden stakes, two in the front and two in the back, and they would put a strap around it, and that is the way that they would hold the headstone.
"We're interested in all of the headstones, but particularly we're interested in the newer part of the cemetery, and that's where we feel sorry for sons and daughters, and in some cases, mother and fathers, turning up and their son or daughter's headstones lying in the ground.
"It's completely wrong. And that is something that I do feel very personal about, and I think that on the whole, everybody should take responsibility.
"That's why we're asking them to sign this petition, to bring to our council's attention that we would like them to stop dropping the headstones, to stop laying them flat, to find alternatives, and to act with a bit of dignity."
A spokesperson for Renfrewshire Council said: "We have a duty of care for safety within our cemeteries and our fully qualified staff have been assessing headstones and carefully lying flat unsafe headstones in line with Scottish Government guidance issued following the tragic death of a child in a Scottish cemetery.
“We understand how emotive it is for families when a headstone has to be laid flat and this is only ever done when it poses a significant risk to safety due to movement or insufficient fixings.
"Unfortunately, it isn’t always possible to reach lair owners before work is carried out and marker notices are placed on memorials and headstones with details for how lair holders can contact the Council to ensure their memorial meets the required safety standards.
"There is also signage at each cemetery with the same information.
“We have considered all feedback about our process to address unsafe headstones and the practices by other local authorities of a similar size.
"Unfortunately, the suggestions put forward were not feasible.”