Headstone safety is already being addressed by the council

Torbay Council has recently set up a working party to review the service and look at various options and issues.

Letters have been sent to funeral directors, stonemasons and several cemetery deed holders, inviting them to take part in the consultation.

The invitation is also being extended to residents who may wish to make written representations.

Sensitive issues

Councillor Christine Carter, who chairs the Cemeteries Working Party, says the provision of cemeteries and crematoria is a vital service.

She said: "Some contentious issues such as headstone safety and the planting of graves at Torquay Cemetery are already being addressed by the council, but we also need to consider several other issues.

"One of these is the fact that Torbay is running very short of burial capacity at Torquay Cemetery, so we have to assess the possible location for a new burial site.

" We also need to look at other possible options such as woodland burials."

The council is hoping to get as much feedback as possible from professional people and the public.

It says the information it gets will also help it deal with sensitive issues such what people should be allowed to place on their loved ones' graves.