Glasgow City Council say its decision to put warning stickers on headstones in graveyards is a last resort after being unable to contact family members over safety concerns.

Images appeared online showing headstones with a sticker which said: "Warning, this memorial was inspected on. It has failed to meet the required safety standards. Please contact 0141 287 3961 for more information."

It attracted criticism with people accusing the council of being disrespectful to people who have lost their lives and their families.

Others accused the council of ‘defacing’ graves, and branded it ‘disgusting’, but the city council insists it is necessary and dismissed any accusations of being disrespectful.

Headstones are private property and the responsibility of the owner to maintain. The council do have a responsibility to ensure its owned spaces are safe and routinely inspected to ensure they are safe.

READ MORE

If they are at risk of toppling over, they are often laid flat and made safe but it can be difficult to find the owners as time goes on.

The inspection system was put in place by the council after a Fatal Accident Inquiry into the death of eight-year-old boy Ciaran Williamson, who died when a headstone in Craigton Cemetery in Cardonald toppled on top him in 2015.

He was killed almost instantly despite attempts to save him after his friends quickly raised the alarm. 

The FAI concluded the council did not have "an active system of inspection to ensure the safety and stability of memorials".

Sheriff Linda Ruxton ruled that the absence of a safety inspection system for memorials in Glasgow cemeteries was a ‘defect’ which contributed to the youngster’s death and the accident which led to it.

One was then put in place which has since resulted in these inspections and in the aftermath of the FAI, between 500 and 900 gravestones were toppled by the council inside Craigton Cemetery to try and make the area safer. 

It has happened in other local authority areas too, with Inverclyde Council coming under fire in 2019 for laying down headstones which had been up less than 20 years and leaving families angry at the situation. 

Orkney Islands Council have also previously had to apologise after toppling around 200 without informing family members of the people who were buried there. 

Glasgow City Council feels it is necessary to use the stickers as a warning but say it is a matter of last resort after trying to find family members. 

A spokesperson for the council said: "The safety of those working in and visiting our cemeteries is an absolute priority.

"Regular inspections of headstones is a statutory obligation for the council but the maintenance and upkeep of any memorial is a matter for the owner.

"However, as owners themselves pass on, identifying a person to take responsibility for headstone maintenance can become very challenging.

"Applying these notices to headstones is an effective way to reach out to families and they have helped us to make contact with people who have an interest in undertaking necessary repairs

"Headstone maintenance is not a service we provide and families must privately engage an appropriate stone mason to complete any work.

“As a last resort, headstones will be laid flat to ensure public safety, although we know this can cause upset to families when they become aware of the poor condition of their family members’ memorial.”