AROUND 75 old headstones in Okehampton Parish Churchyard have been identified as ?potentially dangerous?. The startling statistic followed an inspection by West Devon Borough Council. Now family members are being asked to pay for the stones to be repaired, otherwise the slabs will be laid flat. West Devon Council has responsibility for maintenance of the two oldest sections of the churchyard which are termed as ?closed?. It recently undetook a survey of the condition of all the headstones in churchyards under its control. Those indentified as being unsafe have been marked with red and white tape and will be laid flat unless they are repaired. Around 75 headstones are affected, most date from the early 20th century, some from the 19th century, but the oldest is believed to date back to 1783. Dotty Allan, monitoring officer for the council, said: ?We would like to give family members the opportunity to have their stones repaired at their own cost and would therefore suggest that we do not lay any more stones down until later in the year.? Rector of Okehampton the Rev Stephen Cook said: ?Fortunately, most of the graves affected are very old, but there have been several people who have been quite upset to find the gravestone of a loved one marked or laid down. ?It is usually fairly simple to make them safe again and those affected should contact a qualified monumental mason. ?The council has a duty to make the churchyard safe and these heavy stones would cause death or serious injury if they fell on anyone. ?The statistics show that most years several people are killed or injured in this way. ?I hope that the work is done quickly, as the churchyard looks a bit of a mess at the moment, in spite of the wonderful display of spring flowers.? Those concerned are asked to contact West Devon Borough Council directly, having first checked that the grave they are worried about is one of those affected. The graves concerned are marked and lists are displayed on the church gate and in the church porch. The new ?lawned? cemetery is not affected. Between 1999 and 2004, three people have been killed in the UK and 18 seriously hurt because of unsafe headstones, according to the Health and Safety Executive.