GRAVESTONES in Teesdale which are in danger of toppling over will be laid flat.
Teesdale District Council's community services committee agreed to implement the policy at its meeting yesterday following a survey of all cemeteries in the area.
The council's head of streetcare services, Chris Tomlinson, said the policy was being implemented following the death of a child in Harrogate in 2000. He said: "There will be systematic inspections of memorials in churchyards and cemeteries. This policy has come after consultation with our insurers."
Any memorials in immediate danger of toppling will be laid flat.
The council said it will make all efforts to trace relatives and advise them of the situation. If the relatives cannot be found, and funding allows, inlaying of memorials may take place.
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