DAMAGE caused by safety checks at Peebles Cemetery have been branded as “vandalism” by a community leader who is now calling for remedial action.

The town’s community councillors inspected the graveyard following testing and safety work that resulted in over 700 headstones being taken down.

And they have slammed the drastic action, which they say has upset many families in the community.

As reported last week, concerned resident David Brunton has written to MSPs and his MP to complain.

Mr Brunton was visibly upset at Peebles Community Council on Thursday evening when describing the damage to headstones and the lack of respect, he claims, was shown when carrying out the work.

He said: “They said the testing will focus on old and large memorials which carry the greater risk to public safety.

"They’ve taken down a baby’s cross and that’s not public safety.

"There are broken crosses and they have actually taken down small stones and dug a hole in the ground and planted them, and that’s not as safe as it being on the plinth, with the metal spikes coming up.

"It’s absolutely disgusting what they’ve done.”

Mr Brunton apologised to members for “getting worked up” but added that he is really upset and angry.

He added: “They’ve taken down a baby’s cross, one child’s gravestone and three war memorials, it’s absolutely deplorable.”

Chairman Lawrie Hayworth said there had been an “overzealous” application of the process.

“It has had a significant negative feedback from the community to have over 700 gravestones moved with in many cases a very questionable justification of safety were these are low level monuments and are unlikely to topple on a child and injure them.

“The Council has a five year rolling programme of inspections – this must have been introduced very recently because I’m completely unaware of any inspection that has this impact in the past.

“I can’t understand why the headstones weren’t cordoned off with a clear notice that there was a question about the safety and stability of the stones until a solution was agreed, rather than, and I am sorry to use such a strong word, the vandalism that appears to have been undertaken.”

Mr Hayworth says that Scottish Borders Council needs to action remedial works and hold the contractors to account if they are in breach.

Failing success with this action, it was suggested to dip into Common Good Funds to reinstate the important heritage of Peebles Cemetery

He added: “I’m not suggesting this is a perfect solution but we in Peebles as a royal burgh are in the very fortunate position of having a substantial Common Good Fund. It generates an income which allows us as a community to support good causes in the town. If there was sufficient community demand one way forward is to take a substantial chunk for remedial works.

“But it does not come free because it will then constrain the ability to undertake the other year on year support of other good causes.”

Tweeddale Councillor Helen Anderson supported the remedial calls.

She added: “I think that’s a good suggestive solution but I think we should first try and make sure what liability the contractors got and what funds the council has got.”

Council Leader Shona Haslam told the community council that all local authorities had to undertake safety testing in cemeteries following the tragic death of a child who was crushed by a headstone in Glasgow.

She said: “Cordoning off is not an option, they have to be made safe by laying them on the ground or by socketing which is making a hole and putting the headstones in and infilling it.

"The contractor that we used was Memsafe, the leading contractor in this area in Scotland; in fact they gave evidence at the inquiry of the child who died because they are the leading experts in this."

Councillor Haslam agreed to have the work inspected but said legally the Council cannot fix graves adding that it is the responsibility of families.

She added: “There’s no difference made in law as to how high the memorial has to be before it is tested and deemed to be safe or unsafe.

"Therefore legally we are bound to test every headstone no matter how big or small. There may not be a child, it may be a small dog that runs across to that headstone and it falls on top of the small dog.”

But tensions rose in the Chambers Institute when community councillor Scott Watson asked elected members if they had seen the pictures taken of the cemetery and pressed the Tweeddale councillors for their personal thoughts.

Councillor Haslam was quick to respond saying: “The experts that we employed to have the tests done have said that yes that those gravestones needed to come down.”

But this didn’t satisfy the community councillor who hit back asking – “in your opinion what do you think?”

Councillor Haslam snapped back: “I’ve no idea, I’m not an expert. I pay the experts to tell me and that is what they have told me.”

A member of the public spoke out urging Councillor Haslam to be “cautious” of using the word expert claiming there’s no such thing.

“I’m not cautious at all in using the word experts,” Councillor Haslam replied. “The company Memsafe are the leading experts in dealing with this stuff they do this every single day in local authorities across Scotland. They know what they are talking about, they are not idiots at this. They are very clear in what they have done and why they have done it.”