of gravestones have been pushed over by council workers at cemeteries across Edinburgh as part of a city-wide safety probe. At least 120,000 headstones and other structures within the city’s 32 cemeteries are being checked as part of the safety drive. But the move has been branded “over the top” by critics who claim there is no need for the drastic action. Under the move, any headstone deemed to be a danger will be removed and reset. If no members of family can be found to pay for reinstatement, then headstones will be left lying flat on top of the grave. But the work, which involves workmen simply leaning on the stones until they fall, has upset many visitors to Edinburgh’s cemeteries. A 46-year-old local resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “I couldn’t believe it when I saw two council workers leaning and pushing at the stones. When I approached the men to ask what they were doing they told me it was on grounds of safety after a little boy was killed by a gravestone in Harrogate.” Edinburgh Evening News 24/1/03.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Safety slabs
HUNDREDS 
of gravestones have been pushed over by council workers at cemeteries across Edinburgh as part of a city-wide safety probe. At least 120,000 headstones and other structures within the city’s 32 cemeteries are being checked as part of the safety drive. But the move has been branded “over the top” by critics who claim there is no need for the drastic action. Under the move, any headstone deemed to be a danger will be removed and reset. If no members of family can be found to pay for reinstatement, then headstones will be left lying flat on top of the grave. But the work, which involves workmen simply leaning on the stones until they fall, has upset many visitors to Edinburgh’s cemeteries. A 46-year-old local resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “I couldn’t believe it when I saw two council workers leaning and pushing at the stones. When I approached the men to ask what they were doing they told me it was on grounds of safety after a little boy was killed by a gravestone in Harrogate.” Edinburgh Evening News 24/1/03.
of gravestones have been pushed over by council workers at cemeteries across Edinburgh as part of a city-wide safety probe. At least 120,000 headstones and other structures within the city’s 32 cemeteries are being checked as part of the safety drive. But the move has been branded “over the top” by critics who claim there is no need for the drastic action. Under the move, any headstone deemed to be a danger will be removed and reset. If no members of family can be found to pay for reinstatement, then headstones will be left lying flat on top of the grave. But the work, which involves workmen simply leaning on the stones until they fall, has upset many visitors to Edinburgh’s cemeteries. A 46-year-old local resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “I couldn’t believe it when I saw two council workers leaning and pushing at the stones. When I approached the men to ask what they were doing they told me it was on grounds of safety after a little boy was killed by a gravestone in Harrogate.” Edinburgh Evening News 24/1/03.
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This for me is the worst case of health and safety gone mad I've ever heard.
I used to live in the centre of Edinburgh and saw workmen marking the medieval gravestones that were at a slight angle.
The knock them down by pushing or bulldozing, and they have absolutely not care which way they land.
300 year old gravestones are often kicked face down and they have smashed in to many pieces.
This denies citizens the right to research their ancestry and heritage. It is very unfortunate that some girl died years ago because of a fallen headstone in Liverpool but in Edinburgh the council is particularly bazaar.
They've also put shiny banisters all the way up the lawnmarket to help people up the two steps at he side of the road to the pavement and also removed the 100s of years worn granite rocks for some new square concrete ones ruining the medieval look.
Photographers come from all over to photograph the famous Edinburgh graveyards in the mist, with their leaning gravestones only adding to their unique and ancientness.
Remember, it's that ancient medieval look that people come from all over the world to soak up and enjoy, it's unique in the world and if they wanted sanitized they'd go to Disney Land.
What Edinburgh Council is doing is the most shocking kind of vandalism I've ever witnessed. Who ever it was that gave Edinburgh world heritage status needs to be informed QUICK.
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