Daughter seeks compensation after her mother’s grave in Christelton Churchyard was knocked down following a health and safety inspection

Dec 3 2009 by Allison Dickinson, Chester Chronicle

Daughter seeks compensation after her mother’s grave in Christelton Churchyard was knocked down following a health and safety inspection

A BEREAVED daughter is setting up an action group in a bid to secure financial compensation to put right the toppled headstones in a Chester churchyard.

The Parochial Parish Council of St James’s Church ordered an inspection of stones in Christleton Churchyard in response to new health and safety laws.

As previously reported in the Chronicle, the inspection was to examine each gravestone and make sure they fit strict criteria.

The inspectors say they are not allowed to leave any stones in an unsafe condition so that’s why they had to be taken down immediately.

About 180 stones in Christleton churchyard were laid down, but the parish council has been criticised for not informing family members.

Madeline Heather Jones, who now lives in London, wants the church council to pay for the re-erection of her parents’ headstone because she claims it was the inspection itself that made the stone unstable.

“I do not believe that the professional stonemasons who laid the gravestone only 26 years ago could have done such a poor job that the stone was actually dangerous,” she said.

“Indeed, it was checked by one of my mother’s old friends only a couple of months ago, and the stone was vertical and secure as she cleaned it.

“On investigating the reasons for this draconian inspection, it is hard to escape the conclusion that the whole handling of the inspection was cack-handed from beginning to end. I expect that whoever was responsible for this vandalism should pay for the cost of replacing the stones.”

Rector of St James’s Church, Rev Peter Lee, has issued an apology but maintained that the testing was essential to ensure safety for visitors. He said: “The Parochial Church Council have a duty of care and are responsible for safety in the churchyard, so we thought that the best way to do this was to employ a professional firm to carry out a safety inspection, but we sincerely regret all the distress that has been caused as a result.

“Notices have been at the entrance to the churchyard for quite a long time. We also put additional signs up a few weeks before the inspection. We do the best we can but it is not possible to contact everyone directly.”

Heather is looking to set up an action group to seek compensation and is inviting other affected families to contact her on 0208 4597346 or 42, Hardinge Road, London NW10 3PJ.