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| Bury Free Press, 24 February 2006 |
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| An outpouring of anger and disbelief has followed a council's decision to disturb graves at a town cemetery. |
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| St Edmundsbury Borough Council has been criticised after slapping dozens of notices on headstones which were judged to have 'failed' health and safety tests. |
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| The controversial move, which involved placing a large mechanical device on the stones, causing many to collapse, left relatives fuming. |
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| And in the two weeks since, more people have come forward to express their horror at what they believe to be 'bureaucracy gone mad'. |
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| Russell Baxter, whose mother and father are both buried at the Bury St Edmunds cemetery, labelled the move 'disgusting and indefensible'. |
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| "My sister rang to ask me if I had seen the Bury Free Press, so I visited the cemetery and found the stone had been broken and a stake stuck to it," said the Chevington man. |
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| "I was really upset and shocked. I cannot imagine how a pensioner would feel if they found their partner's grave had been desecrated - it's just crazy. |
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| "The idea this has been done on health and safety grounds is ridiculous - the council is entering the realms of fantasy and I find their approach indefensible." |
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| Relatives, who have been told the scheme is part of a nationwide initiative, are now facing a bill of up to £200 per grave to have the stones made safe. |
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| Brenda Hudson, of Bury, was incensed. "When I visited the grave at Christmas it was in perfect order," she said. "Suddenly, it is unsafe - I call this vandalism and bureaucracy gone mad." |
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| David Ruffley, MP for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket, added his voice to the outcry, urging the borough council to issue an apology. |
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"I completely understand the hurt and distress this has caused," he said. "Everything should be done to safeguard the resting place of relatives' loved ones."
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| But Cllr Paul Farmer, ward member, defended the move. "While I sympathise with relatives, I do believe the council had no alternative. |
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| "There have been serious accidents and even deaths involving headstones and the public would rightly complain if the council sat back and did nothing." |
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| Why the council did it |
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| The leader of St Edmundsbury Borough Council has defended the authority's position over its handling of the issue. |
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| "When I first became aware of the concerns, I called for an immediate review to check we were doing everything right and in the most sensitive manner," said Cllr John Griffiths. |
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| "I have already been reassured we are going about this process, which I appreciate is distressing for the families concerned, properly." |
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| Cllr Griffiths said the council had been advised it could be prosecuted in the event of any accident. |
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| "We cannot simply ignore health and safety issues, but we do listen and we do want to make sure we take into account people's feelings," he added. |
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