MEMORIAL gravestones in Monmouth are to be tested for their safety later this year.

Memorials at Monmouth Cemetery are to be checked in September and October as part of a Monmouthshire County Council (MCC) rolling safety testing programme.

The ‘makesafe’ testing, which will be carried out by trained employees, will determine whether each memorial in the cemetery is secure.

If a memorial remains stable to a pre-determined level, it is deemed to be safe.

Those memorials which fail the tests will be made safe and a band placed around them as a short term measure.

Notices will also be attached to the memorial to provide information to family members who may visit the cemetery with details of why the ‘makesafe’ system had been used and details of who to contact for further information.

Where possible, MCC says that in these cases family members will be contacted to advise them of the steps they need to take to have the memorial re-erected.

If a memorial has not been re-erected within six months of test failure the memorial headstone will be sunk to one third of its depth at the head of the grave until the family arrange to have it re-erected by a registered memorial mason.

A spokesperson from MCC said: “The council has an obligation to ensure, as best it can, the safety of those visiting or working in its cemeteries and checking of the stability of memorials is an important part of that obligation.

“The council recognises that there is a potential for family members to become upset in the event of a memorial being found to be unsafe but it is hoped that those affected will understand that the overriding principle is to ensure the safety of people visiting the cemetery.”

Anyone who has concerns about the stability of a memorial can contact Rhian Jackson on 01873735852 or [email protected]