OLD grave headstones could be used as a feature of a sensory garden to be built on a former cemetery.

Salem Congregational Chapel was built in about 1850, just off Thirsk town centre, close to Cod Beck. It burnt down in 1987.

The Nursery Gardens development is building homes on the former site of the chapel.

The buildings are designed to look chapel-like and consist of flats above garages so flood waters from Cod Beck can escape.

The chapel's former graveyard is not being built on and Thirsk Town Council now wants to do something with it.

Plans are being drawn up to convert the old graveyard into a sensory garden.

No definite plans have been decided upon, but ideas so far include a water feature and a memorial.

Councillor Jan Marshall said: "We want to take the old headstones up and store them somewhere safe.

"We could put a memorial to the dead in the garden and they could be used in that."

The small team behind the garden idea, of which Coun Marshall is one, are keen to move things along.