Families discovered the headstones had been laid flat on the ground

Relatives of 130 people buried at Caldicot Cemetery in Monmouthshire are upset that they were not contacted by letter about the decision to remove the headstones after experts ruled them unsafe.

Many arrived at the cemetery over the weekend to lay flowers to discover that some of the memorial stones had been placed flat on the ground.

But the town council has defended the move, saying someone was killed by a fallen headstone in England and public notices about the changes at the cemetery were put up more than two months ago.

Relatives say more should have been done to contact them.

"It's my stone, it's my ground which I've paid for and they tell me after they have done it, when they've got no right to even touch it," said Brian Bartrum who put up a headstone for his parents seven years ago.

I was upset when that lad died, I was upset when we buried him and then to come up here and see all this, I was upset Don Jones

His anger was echoed by James Meeling when he saw the headstone on his parents' grave had also been laid flat.

"They have devastated my mum and dad's memorial to their life and I think it's really disgusting how the town council have treated the people.

Retired dustman Don Jones found the headstone on the grave of his 18-year-old son had been moved.

"I was upset when that lad died, I was upset when we buried him and then to come up here and see all this, I was upset," he said.

Notices were put up around the cemetery months ago

Caldicot Town Council said they were forced to take this action after a six-year-old boy in Yorkshire was killed when he was crushed by a gravestone in July 2000.

Experts declared 130 of the headstones were more unstable than allowed by health and safety standards.

Council leader Jim Higginson said that they had put notices around the cemetery informing visitors of the move.

Professional advice

"I can imagine how distressing and emotional it is for people who have stones - the families who have gravestones in this cemetery.

"But the fact of the matter is that some two to three months ago we put notices and publicised it well," he said.

"In fact, we had a press release saying we were going to undertake this health and safety check on all the head stones in this cemetery.

"In England it is known a headstone fell over and a fatally injured someone.