Call to test cemetery headstones

Re-testing headstones at cemeteries in Cannock Chase is essential, a council officer has claimed, after revealing some had been inadequately repaired with glues and resin.

Cannock's Community Forum meeting was told how the council is planning to re-test all the headstones that previously failed safety tests two years ago in order to gain an accurate picture of which pose a danger.

Tom Walsh, the council's parks and open spaces manager, told the public meeting the council needed to carry out re-testing.

He said this was because some headstones had been protected with wooden stakes even though they had originally passed the test.

He added that others needed to be tested because people had used "all kinds of glues and adhesives" to try and repair the headstones.

He told the meeting: "On some of the older sandstone memorials the resins might bind and solve the problem but on the newer granite headstones they won't make a difference. People have been using all kinds of things to try and repair the headstones and we need to re-test them to make sure we have an accurate picture."

Mr Walsh explained any headstone which had been properly repaired by a certified stonemason would not be re-tested.

Any headstones which fails a push-test and standard 35kg weight test could be laid flat if the grave deed holders still refuse to carry out the necessary repairs.

Councillor Frank Allen, whose parents' memorial failed the original safety test, said he was "flabbergasted" at the way the council had handled the situation.

He said: "The council says it will respectfully lay flat the headstones that have failed. How do you respectfully lay flat a headstone?"

The council is to train staff to carry out the new tests and letters will be sent to the grave deed holders of those memorials that fail.

Any that are not repaired and pose a risk could be laid flat. These include older headstones for whom no relatives can be traced.