Council apologises for laying down headstones

Gloucester City Council said immediate action needed to be taken

Council chiefs have apologised that families of the deceased were not told it had laid down unsafe headstones in a cemetery.

Immediate action needed to be taken because some of the stones at Coney Hill cemetery were found to be insecure and likely to fall over, according to Gloucester City Council.

Independent councillor Alastair Chambers, who had raised previous concerns around errors with burials, machinery driving over graves and safety concerns, said the move caused further distress and panic.

Chambers said: "The first many families knew of this distressing act was upon visiting their loved ones' graves, only to find memorials ransacked and deliberately laid flat by council workers."

He added: "Just 14 days ago, bereaved families were left in shock and despair after discovering that the council had deliberately toppled headstones in the cemetery - without notice, consultation, or prior warning to grave owners.

"This was entirely avoidable."

He raised concerns over the dangerous headstones in November 2023 and presented photos at a full council meeting at North Warehouse, the Local Democracy Reporting Service was told.

The council said safety inspections were conducted on a five-year cycle to ensure stability and prevent accidents in line with national guidelines.

Alastair Chambers said the distress caused to families of the deceased was "entirely avoidable"

Deputy council leader Declan Wilson said: "We would like to apologise sincerely for any upset a recent safety inspection at Coney Hill Cemetery might have caused.

"Unfortunately, immediate action needed to be taken."

Gloucester City Council is writing to all the owners of the graves that have been deemed to be unsafe to discuss next steps.

Grave owners sign a rules and regulations document before a burial which states that they have the responsibility to maintain the memorial, and if this does not happen satisfactorily, the council has the right to remove the stone at its discretion.