A HEARTBROKEN 82-year-old Charford pensioner learned that her husband's grave had failed the council's safety test only when she happened to spot it on a TV news bulletin.

Later, when she visited the cemetery, she was horrified to find her grandmother's grave she had tended for 75 years had also been laid flat.

May Kings's unhappy story was relayed to councillors at a full meeting of Bromsgrove District Council, on February 25, by Councillor Peter McDonald leader of the Labour group.

Cllr McDonald (Uffdown and Waseley) had put forward a motion asking for a full investigation as to why 400 gravestones have been laid flat.

Supporting her Labour colleague, Cllr Cathy Mole (Sidemoor) said she understood the reasons behind the council's action but was highly critical of the insensitive way it was carried out.

Her call for the council to pay relatives compensation was refused by the controlling Tories.

Council boss Bob Lewis told the meeting that while he was not insensitive to relatives' feelings, as a responsible authority, the council knew there was a problem regarding the safety of some graves and, therefore, had an obligation to act.

He said had there been an accident resulting in the death of a child or an old person leaning on a headstone, the council would have been open to real criticism.

" I would not want to carry that risk," he added.