Earlier this month there was uproar in Glasgow, where the local authority had placed warning labels on unsafe memorials in the city’s cemeteries. In some cases, the labels covered the name of the deceased. Whatever the ethics of this, it is a stark reminder that the council is not responsible for memorial safety in cemeteries.

One of the many memorials laid flat in Liverpool’s Toxteth Park Cemetery

The labels stated that the memorial had been inspected and failed to meet safety standards. A phone number was provided for owners to call for further information. One visitor to Riddrie Park cemetery commented on social media “It’s disgusting and morally wrong to deface somebody’s resting place. It’s actually sad to see. It used to be a lovely place, well-kept and maintained, but now it’s an eyesore. It’s even worse with the big stickers all over the headstones.”

Glasgow City Council responded by saying it was trying to reach out to families and that it could be very challenging trying to track down grave owners. A council spokesperson told the BBC that the notices were “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.”

Memorial safety can appear to be a grey area but it needn’t be. Councils across the United Kingdom have a statutory duty to carry out regular inspections of all memorials in their cemeteries to ensure safety standards are met. However if a memorial is found to be unsafe, it is the responsibility of the owner to bring it up to the required standard. Otherwise, the council is perfectly within its rights to lay the headstone flat to avoid accidental injury or even death.

Any memorial that can not withstand a certain amount of force in line with the BS8415 is laid flat by local authorities. BS stands for British Standard and became law in 2005. It is easy to assume that only Victorian headstones fail to meet this, but many headstones from the late 20th Century have failed to meet it. This is because whereas standards were laid down by the National Association of Memorial Masons (NAMM), they were not enforceable by law. It is only since 2005 that there has been regulation in terms of memorial safety.

If you live in the Merseyside area and have had a safety notice placed on your loved one’s memorial, or are concerned it may not meet standards, please do not hesitate to contact us.  Sarsfield Memorials are Liverpool’s longest-established family owned monumental mason business.We will be pleased to discuss this and provide you with advice and a quotation on refixing it to meet the regulatory standards