A petition calling on Renfrewshire Council to stop toppling headstones in cemeteries is due to close tonight at midnight ahead of a protest rally.
As we previously reported, local authority officials have been toppling headstones and laying them flat in cemeteries, including Hawkhead Cemetery in Paisley, to ensure their safety.
Friends of Hawkhead Cemetery (FOHC), however, launched a petition back in May claiming that there are alternative methods of dealing with the issue which “show more respect” for the memory of deceased loved ones.
Following the start of the petition, Desmond Barr, the chair of FOHC, said: “The decision by officials to lay flat the headstones has been met with widespread anger and disappointment among relatives and friends who visit their dearly departed.
"This act shows no respect for how these memorials are dealt with."
The petition, which is close to reaching its target of 1,500 signatures, will be presented to the council at Renfrewshire House in Cotton Street in Paisley on Thursday, June 27 from 9.30am.
A social media post shared by Desmond today announcing the petition handover and urging people to “act now” and join the protest rally, said: “Friends of Hawkhead Cemetery fully support the Scottish Government in ensuring that every headstone and memorial structure in cemeteries is safe and well-maintained.
“What FOHC totally reject is Renfrewshire Council’s implementation of the Scottish Government’s guidance by only laying flat headstones.
“They could stake or sink them as other local authorities do, such as East Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire and East Ayrshire.
“They could even go so far as to repair the headstones.”
The post also said that the council claim that the alternative options proposed by FOHC are not feasible.
Yet they “give no warning of toppling headstones”, “fail to communicate with lair holders/families” and “do not update notices and signage with the correct details i.e. telephone numbers and email addresses,” the group said.
FOHC also claimed the council “neglect to ensure adequate barrier protection from large, dangerous memorials that can kill” and “act disproportionately regarding low-risk memorials while multi-part larger memorials remain largely uninspected.”
Last month FOHC spent two days clearing up Hawkhead Cemetery - with the help of a St Mirren legend, Tony Fitzpatrick.
The clean-up resulted in 300 bags of leaves, weeds, twigs and other debris being cleared from the site.
A Renfrewshire Council spokesperson said: "We have a duty of care for safety within our cemeteries and our fully qualified staff have been assessing headstones and carefully lying flat unsafe headstones in line with Scottish Government guidance issued following the tragic death of a child in a Scottish cemetery.
“We understand how emotive it is for families when a headstone has to be laid flat and this is only ever done when it poses a significant risk to safety due to movement or insufficient fixings.
"Unfortunately, it isn’t always possible to reach lair owners before work is carried out and marker notices are placed on memorials and headstones with details for how lair holders can contact the council to ensure their memorial meets the required safety standards.
"There is also signage at each cemetery with the same information.”
To sign the petition click HERE.
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