Graveyard safety checks

UNSAFE headstones will be lowered to the ground in a safety check.

Some 14,000 memorials across Rother will be given a pressure test to see how much force they can stand.

The survey is being conducted to fulfil the council's responsibility for the safety of visitors to cemeteries and churchyards.

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Concerns that unsteady headstones could cause injury to visitors or cemetery staff are at the heart of the project.

Memorials at St Mark's and St Peter's Church yards and Bexhill Cemetery will be subjected to a nationally recognised 'hand test', carried out by an experienced qualified consultant.

This involves applying force to the headstone to check it is stable.

Any memorial deemed unsafe will be lowered to the ground by trained personnel.

Owners of the affected graves will be notified by post and through site noticeboards.