Isle of Wight council (IWC) officers will be out inspecting headstones in Newport, Carisbrooke, Ryde and Ventnor cemeteries this week (18th March).
Periodically they must check the stability of burial ground memorials to ensure they are safe and aren’t likely to fall and hurt someone.
Headstones to undergo a ‘hand test’
The often-heavy memorials will undergo a ‘hand test’, where light pressure is applied to the memorial to check if it moves.
This test involves no tools or equipment and is intended to provide support to visual checks that suggest it may be unstable, such as damaged or eroding bonding, movement from the original position, leaning or structural damage or disturbance.
If they are found to be loose
Where memorials are found to be loose or pose a risk to members of the public using the cemetery, the memorial will be sensitively placed down alongside the grave. The utmost care and respect will be paid during this inspection.
IWC do not intend to cause distress to families and friends of the deceased buried in the cemetery. If you have any feedback, please email: [email protected]
More information on ‘Burial grounds: guidance on managing unstable gravestones’ can be found on the Gov website.
News shared by Isle of Wight council press office, in their own words. Ed
