Public meetings are being held in Edinburgh to explain why it is necessary to lay headstones flat in many of the capital's graveyards. The move follows protests from distressed families who say they did not receive any advance warning about the new policy.
Making cemeteries safer is now a top priority for health and safety officials.
They were forced to act after three children were killed by falling masonry in separate incidents over the past six years.
Vandalised
Councils are now required to carry out regular checks and must lay flat all headstones that are found to be dangerously unstable.
The new safety measures have proved controversial.
Earlier this year Edinburgh City Council came under fire for laying headstones flat in some of its cemeteries.
Relatives said they were not informed and had thought the graves were vandalised.
The council is now holding a series of public meetings to explain why the action is necessary.
The first of these gets under way on Monday night.
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