SPECIALIST contractors are checking the stability of grave headstones in eight closed graveyards maintained by West Devon Borough Council. Working alongside church authorities, the council wants to check that the stones are safe. The survey work is being carried out following incidents that have occurred in other areas of the country where people have been injured - in some cases, fatally - by unstable gravestones that have toppled over. The West Devon graveyards that are being surveyed are open to the public, but closed for burial purposes. The graveyards are at the Holy Trinity Church, Bere Alston; St Andrew?s Church, Bere Ferrers; St Paul?s Church, Gulworthy; St John the Baptist?s Church, Horrabridge; St Mary?s Church, Lifton; St Mary?s Church, Mary Tavy; All Saints Church, Okehampton and the graveyard?s 1928 extension. Mayor of West Devon Cllr Jayne Hill said: ?We are very aware that this is a sensitive issue. ?We hope that the public understands that this work is being carried out so that people can visit our graveyards in complete safety.? Around 7,000 headstones ? some more than 200 years old ? are being checked. The survey work, which is expected to be completed by the end of January, has already highlighted around 190 head stones which are unsafe. Those headstones which are found to be unstable are being laid down or cordoned off and each one is being recorded. The records are then passed to the church authorities. For further information about the work, contact David Chapman, West Devon Borough Council?s landscape officer on 01822 813685 or Jane Green, the planning services manager on 01822 813681.
