For mourners arriving at a cemetery in the South Derbyshire village of Church Gresley it鈥檚 not so much a case of Rest in Peace but of Rest in Plastic.
Tombstones considered to be unstable and dangerous have been covered with bright yellow bin liners warning people to stay away. The local district council says the action was taken following advice from the Health and Safety Executive. They say that four children have already been killed elsewhere in the country when they were trapped underneath falling headstones.
But the sight of plastic-covered stones has angered some villagers who say they weren鈥檛 told about the council鈥檚 plans. Relatives will be contacted and urged to make the headstones safe.
Councillor Bob Southern who lives in the village admits the plastic bags look unsightly but says the council has a duty of care towards people who visit the cemetery.
He says such safeguards aren鈥檛 unusual and that one local vicar was force to knock flat all the gravestones in his Churchyard which were unsafe.
Councillor Southern says more headstones in Church Gresley will have to be covered by the plastic bags - and the district council is also looking at other churchyards and cemeteries throughout Southern Derbyshire.
