Dumfries and Galloway Council to carry out controversial headstone dismantling in 16 more cemeteries
dailyrecord.co.ukThe controversial dismantling of headstones could go ahead in 16 more cemeteries across Dumfries and Galloway – despite a huge outcry from upset relatives.Council chiefs are proposing that the “socketing” of old gravestones continues for public safety reasons.When this was done to 1,140 memorials in 2020 and 2021, it sparked a furious reaction from relatives of those buried.And it prompted one, David Drife of Penpont, to instruct his solicitor to take legal action against the authority for damage to family headstones in Sanquhar Cemetery.The pensioner was yesterday stunned to hear the council is planning on using the same methods to remove headstones - and claimed socketing gravestones is preventing families from having relatives buried in the same plot.He said: “This is shocking.
Who is going to be doing the work?“I’ve been in regular contact with a professional who says they are disturbing human remains with this work.“And they are blocking future burials by socketing headstones into the ground at the burial plot.“At the cemetery last year, I saw an old lady crying at a graveside saying: ‘This is where my coffin was going to be, now there’s no room’.”Despite the furore, a report will be tabled at the communities committee next Thursday calling for councillors to allow socketing to continue when the safety project resumes.The report states: “The safety of our communities and staff is paramount and there is a need to ensure that this project is fully complete as soon as possible and so the necessary preparatory work is well progressed on the remaining cemeteries.”These cemeteries are: Sanquhar Churchyard; New Abbey; Newton Stewart Old Cemetery; Stranraer Sheuchan; Whithorn, St Ninian’s; Castle Douglas Cemetery Old;
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