Northern Ireland

Headstones in Belfast City Cemetery cordoned off over safety concerns

Belfast City Council said 12 graves in the City Cemetery have been banded and warning notices posted after workers discovered they were unsafe. Picture by Mal McCann
Belfast City Council said 12 graves in the City Cemetery have been banded and warning notices posted after workers discovered they were unsafe. Picture by Mal McCann Belfast City Council said 12 graves in the City Cemetery have been banded and warning notices posted after workers discovered they were unsafe. Picture by Mal McCann

SOME headstones at Belfast City Cemetery have been cordoned off following concerns about the safety of graves.

Belfast City Council said its workers identified issues with 12 headstones during routine maintenance and cleaning.

Two wooden posts have been placed on either side of the affected headstones, which have been banded with blue tape.

Signs warning people and urging them not to touch the stones have also been attached.

The council has said the intervention at the Falls Road cemetery is not part of its formal inspection programme, which sparked complaints earlier this year after the graves of loved ones were sealed off in Roselawn Cemetery.

The warning signs posted at Roselawn, which stated that the memorials had "failed a regulatory test" and were "deemed unstable", prompted relatives to describe the action as "insensitive" and "disrespectful".

Warning notices have been attached to the headstones, urging people not to touch them. Picture by Mal McCann
Warning notices have been attached to the headstones, urging people not to touch them. Picture by Mal McCann Warning notices have been attached to the headstones, urging people not to touch them. Picture by Mal McCann

The council has said safety issues have been identified with almost a third of headstones in Roselawn.

It is understood that several graves in Balmoral Cemetery, Shankill Graveyard and Clifton Street have also been deemed unsafe.

A memorial management policy was adopted by Belfast City Council in April last year.

It states: "There have been a number of deaths nationally in recent years and many serious injuries caused by unsafe memorials.

"It is the responsibility of the grave owner, or their family, to make sure that any memorial on a grave is properly maintained."

Headstones in the City Cemetery have been deemed unsafe and cordoned off. Picture by Mal McCann
Headstones in the City Cemetery have been deemed unsafe and cordoned off. Picture by Mal McCann Headstones in the City Cemetery have been deemed unsafe and cordoned off. Picture by Mal McCann

In cases where a memorial is deemed unsafe under the inspection programme, a letter will be sent to the grave owner within 10 days and again three months later if there has been no response.

The policy adds: "After a further three months have passed, if we still haven’t received a response from the grave owner, our cemetery staff will take the necessary steps within the next six to 12 months to permanently make safe the memorial."

A spokeswoman for Belfast City Council said: "The memorial safety inspection programme has not started at the City Cemetery yet.

"However, while carrying out our normal maintenance and cleaning procedures we did find 12 headstones that were unsafe and we have taken the normal action of staking and banding these and writing to the grave owners.

"At present around 30 per cent of headstones at Roselawn Cemetery have been found to be collectively unsafe/unstable but we hope to provide more detailed figures towards the end of the financial year."

The action in Belfast City Cemetery is not part of the council's formal inspection programme. Picture by Mal McCann
The action in Belfast City Cemetery is not part of the council's formal inspection programme. Picture by Mal McCann The action in Belfast City Cemetery is not part of the council's formal inspection programme. Picture by Mal McCann
There were complaints from relatives of loved ones buried in Roselawn Cemetery earlier this year after headstones were banded by the council. Picture by Mal McCann
There were complaints from relatives of loved ones buried in Roselawn Cemetery earlier this year after headstones were banded by the council. Picture by Mal McCann There were complaints from relatives of loved ones buried in Roselawn Cemetery earlier this year after headstones were banded by the council. Picture by Mal McCann
The council said 12 headstones had been banded in the City Cemetery. Picture by Mal McCann
The council said 12 headstones had been banded in the City Cemetery. Picture by Mal McCann The council said 12 headstones had been banded in the City Cemetery. Picture by Mal McCann
Graves in Belfast City Cemetery have been banded due to safety concerns. Picture by Mal McCann
Graves in Belfast City Cemetery have been banded due to safety concerns. Picture by Mal McCann Graves in Belfast City Cemetery have been banded due to safety concerns. Picture by Mal McCann
The graves have been secured with wooden posts. Picture by Mal McCann
The graves have been secured with wooden posts. Picture by Mal McCann The graves have been secured with wooden posts. Picture by Mal McCann
The council said the unsafe headstones were discovered during routine maintenance and cleaning. Picture by Mal McCann
The council said the unsafe headstones were discovered during routine maintenance and cleaning. Picture by Mal McCann The council said the unsafe headstones were discovered during routine maintenance and cleaning. Picture by Mal McCann