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Cemetries to be tested for safety
KEEPING local cemeteries and closed graveyards safe is the number one priority for Pendle Council's Memorial Inspection Officer.
Memorials and headstones on graves across Pendle are currently being tested for safety, with Nelson being the first to be inspected.
Coun. Ann Kerrigan, who represents parks and cemeteries in Pendle, said: "Robert Careswell joined the council as memorial inspection officer last year.
"He was specifically recruited to inspect graves to make sure that memorials meet the required safety standard.
"We're doing this to ensure that visitors to graves and our staff who work in the cemeteries are not at risk from unsafe or damaged memorials."
The tests are in line with the council's policy and procedures on cemetery safety and a special report from the Local Government Ombudsman.
Coun. Kerrigan continued: "So far Robert and his colleagues have tested the stability of memorials in closed churchyards - that's graveyards that have no more burial spaces available.
"From mid-July, Robert will be doing safety tests on memorials in council-owned cemeteries, starting with Walton Lane Cemetery in Nelson."
On Saturday,July 5th, Robert and his colleagues will be giving a demonstration of how the tests are done.
There will be two sessions - one at 9-30 a.m. and another at 10-45 a.m. Anyone is welcome to go along, watch and ask questions.
Mr Careswell said: "These demonstrations will give people the chance to see just what we'll be doing around the grave.
"We hope it will address any concerns they might have and make them feel comfortable with what we're doing."
Coun. Kerrigan said: "I want to reassure people that we will not be laying down any memorials unless it is absolutely unavoidable, for example if they can't be made temporarily safe.
"I know that's something that relatives of the deceased would not want to happen at all.
"We will do what we can to make a memorial safe straightaway.
"Then we will write to the grave owner to let them know of their responsibility to put right any problems that we find when we do the test."
If you have a grave in Nelson cemetery, please contact the bereavement services office on 661596 to make sure your details are up to date.
For more information about the memorial safety tests, contact Pendle Council's Bereavement Services Officer, Fred Stewart, on 661596 or fred.stewart@pendle.gov.uk
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Friday 25 May 2012
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