A FURIOUS Borders man says the council “desecrated” his father’s grave by lying the headstone on its back.

Lindsay Cockburn, 61, of Selkirk, is deeply unhappy with the way Scottish Borders Council (SBC) carried out health and safety work at the town’s Brierylaw Cemetery.

Mr Cockburn said he was “absolutely raging” when he saw his father’s overturned headstone on May 21, adding: “I view this as being desecration of the grave.”

An SBC spokesperson said headstone safety testing has been happening at cemeteries across the Borders for some time.

However, Mr Cockburn was shocked by what he found last week when visiting the grave of his father, a cabinet maker who died in 1963 aged 38.

The headstone had been laid on its back, said Mr Cockburn, with the inscription facing upwards.

“At first I thought it might be vandalism, but then I saw the stones were all laid in a certain way,” said Mr Cockburn, who estimated that around six gravestones had been given a similar treatment.

Mr Cockburn, an IT worker, wants the council to stop carrying out safety tests on smaller gravestones.

“I can understand these huge gravestones [having to be moved], because they could be dangerous – but not these small ones,” he said, adding that his father’s gravestone is around 1.5ft high.

In a statement sent to this newspaper, Selkirkshire councillor Caroline Cochrane said: “I believe notices had been put in place for four weeks ahead of the planned works to give relatives a time to get the headstones of their loved ones checked to ensure they were safe.

“However, I do understand that some relatives may live some distance away and may not visit the cemetery on a regular basis.

“It would, however, be a mammoth task for SBC to trace all living relatives for the graves.

“I think the important thing to remember is that the stones which have been laid down is [sic] only to protect them.

“Much further damage and breakages could be done should the headstone fall over.”

The council’s executive member for neighbourhoods and locality services, Sandy Aitchison, is quoted on the council’s webpage about headstone testing.

Mr Aitchison’s statement reads: “We know how emotive cemeteries are for local communities, with many being the final resting place for much loved family members and friends.

“However, the council has a responsibility for the safety of 154 cemeteries in the Borders, and we take this responsibility seriously.

“This is why we are continuing with these safety inspections of headstones across the area.

“I can also assure residents that staff will carry out their work sensitively and only where absolutely necessary.

“We are trying to be as proactive as possible in terms of letting people know about testing in their area, and this will continue as the programme moves on.

“I would encourage anyone who is seeking more information to visit our website for further details or get in touch directly if you want to check whether your family memorial will be tested.”