Daughter's anger and shock over headstone (From Warrington Guardian)

Daughter's anger and shock over headstone

A BRIGHT yellow bag placed over the headstone on her dead mother's grave has caused anger and sadness for one Wharton resident.

Karen Morris says she was shocked to discover the high-visibility bag on the memorial to her mother, Irena Atkinson, at Over St John's cemetery in Delamere Street last Friday.

Vale Royal Borough Council has been carrying out compulsory safety inspections of headstones across the borough and making safe those that pose a risk to the public, as the Health and Safety Executive requires the council to do.

Gravediggers

But Karen said: "My mother has only been buried there for seven years. When I got to the church, there were a couple of gravediggers and I asked them if they knew anything about it.

"When they explained I was shocked. I understand why the council is doing it and that it has to do it, but the way it has gone about it is disgusting.

"It could have been a bit more tactful or discreet."

Karen and her family have now repaired the memorial. The council says that several serious incidents involving unstable memorials have forced the safety checks across the country.

A spokesman said: "All inspections are now complete. The closed churchyards that have been inspected are Christchurch, in Wharton, St John's, in Winsford, St Lawrence's, in Frodsham, St Paul's, in Helsby, St Mary's, in Weaverham and St John's, in Hartford.

"The yellow bags have been placed temporarily to highlight the potential danger - the council is currently laying flat all those headstones identified as dangerous as a method to ensure public safety.

"Under health and safety legislation the council had to cover those dangerous memorials with highly visible bags to alert the public to the potential danger.

"Basically the grave owner has the responsibility to keep their headstone in a safe condition. But the council would like to apologise for any undue distress these inspections may have caused relatives."

rfraser@guardiangrp.co.uk