A man is outraged after his relatives’ grave was deemed unsafe and covered with tape.

Gary Smith, 62, visited the grave of his aunt and uncle at All Saints’ Church in Carshalton last Monday.

Mr Smith, who regularly visits their grave to pay his respects was appalled to find a wooden stake had been nailed into the back of their gravestone and blue twine tied round it.

Gary’s aunt and uncle brought him up from childhood after the war and he was very close to both of them. His uncle died in the 1960s and his auntie died six years ago and are buried together in the cemetery.

Mr Smith went to lay some flowers last week but was met by signs on the cemetery gates saying due to safety concerns, some gravestones have been reinforced, or “desecrated”, according to Mr Smith.

He said: “There are 22 graves which have had these wooden stakes nailed to them, and the blue tape tied around them.

“They have disturbed the earth and made the stones more loose. I’m not sure what they think they are doing but these are people’s dead relatives.

“This ground is sacrosanct. People come here to pay their respects to the loved ones they greatly miss. The council is showing utmost disrespect for the dead and it is shocking.

Councillor Colin Hall, executive member for the Environment and said: “I am sorry for any distress to the resident who has contacted your paper. We make great efforts to treat grave sites with respect.

“However, the council is required by the Health and Safety Executive to inspect every headstone in our cemeteries and churchyards following a number of deaths and injuries across the country from falling headstones.

“Any that are found to be unsafe, as this particular headstone was, must be made secure.”

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