Winkleigh parish councillors step down over gravestone row

Three parish councillors in a Devon village have stepped down after more than 25 gravestones were dislodged.

Headstones at Winkleigh cemetery were laid flat when a health and safety inspection deemed them to be unsafe.

Winkleigh Parish Council previously apologised and said it would be changing its practices in the future.

A council meeting due to be held on Wednesday evening was cancelled due to an "insufficient number" of councillors.

A Facebook post by Winkleigh Parish Council read: "Please be advised that the extraordinary meeting called for Wednesday 15th September 2021 has been cancelled due to insufficient number of Cllrs being able to attend."

John Battishill said finding his brother and parents' gravestones lying flat "wasn't fair".

Parish clerk Melanie Bickwell, who carried out the inspection, said she was trained to lay gravestones down if they moved in a certain way.

The inspection, which she said the parish council knew was going to happen earlier this month, involved applying force to the top of the gravestones to check if they were unstable and likely to fall over.

Ms Bickwell apologised for the upset caused, and apologised for not giving advance notice of the inspection to the relatives of those buried.

"I honestly believe truly and honestly that I've acted in the best intentions of the council and in accordance with council policies and council permissions," she said.

Ms Bickwell said three councillors had resigned directly due to the headstones issue.

She added that she had received abuse over the dispute, including hate mail and online trolling, but would not be resigning herself.

"I started this, it's down to me, and I will see it through," she said.

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