12:16pm Wednesday 9th July 2008
By Samrana Hussain
PENDLE’S memorial inspection officer demonstrated safety tests on memorial and graves over the weekend.
Saturday’s demonstration, part of a borough-wide safety inspection to test the stability of the gravestones and memorials using a specialist piece of equipment, took place at Nelson’s Walton Lane Cemetery.
Pendle Council will test thousands of gravestones and memorials to make sure they are safe over the next five years at a cost of £40,000.
Inspection officer Robert Careswell applied pressure to a memorial identical to a person putting 35 kilograms of pressure on to it.
At the demonstration, a local mason who is a member of the British Register of Accredited Memorial Masons also showed how memorials are refixed to the required standard to make them safe.
The tests are in line with Pendle Council's memorial safety in council cemeteries policy and procedures and a special report from the local government ombudsman.
Anyone with relatives in a grave in Nelson cemetery should contact the bereavement services office on 01282 661596 to make sure details are up to date.
For more information on the memorial safety tests, contact Pendle Bereave-ment Services Officer, Fred Stewart, on 01282 661596 or fred.stewart@ pendle.gov.uk.
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