Cemetery Vandalised by Town Council

Saffron Walden Town Council Vandalises It's Own Cemetery

It certainly comes to something, when the people to whom you would report this kind of vandalism to, are in fact the culprits of this very act themselves.

Our local newspaper reported, that a visitor to the cemetery had leant on a headstone, which fell upon her and injured her leg.

The knee~jerk response of the town council, was to 'Topple Test' all the other upright stones and those that appeared unstable, were then laid down.

Approximately 200 stones have now been toppled over as a result of the test. Relatives are furious after they were informed by the council, that the cemetery would need to have been closed down, if they had not dealt with the stones in accordance with Health and Safety Regulations.

Labour MP John Mann said ' Excellent guidance has been given to sort out the scandal of Health and Safety zealousness in graveyards but local authorities are snubbing it. What is going to be done to get rid of the nonsense of laying down graves all across Britain ?' 

 The council is currently writing to inform relatives of the steps that were taken with their families headstones and to re~assure them the procedure was done in a caring and dignified way. However, the cost to re~erect a single headstone is approximately £100 and the families are expected to cover these costs themselves.