Destruction of Loughborough’s heritage should stop immediately

DURING the New Year break I thought I would go and have a look at the recently installed grave stone honouring Tommy Marston, the decorated First World War Hero, and a truly magnificent one it is.

While I was there I was confronted by an appalling state of devastation or maybe vandalism (as I thought).

Gravestones had been toppled over in a haphazard way, two in particular had been broken namely George Minor and the stone of William Coleman’s grave had been broken into several pieces and further to my dismay the Reverend Fearon’s grave stone had been laid down flat (fortunately not broken).

After enquiries I discovered that it was not vandalism but the work had been carried out by contractors on behalf of Charnwood Borough Council in the name of health and safety or Topple Testing as it is called.

At the same time it was pointed out to me that some notices had been placed at different points explaining the situation as follows:

“Remedial measures will gen- erally include consideration of the following:

“Supported by means of a wooden temporary support these will be placed discreetly to help support the memorial whilst the council attempts to contact the grave owner or stone mason.

“Re-fixing the memorial using an M3 Polymer fixing compound.

“Setting the memorial into the ground.

“Laying down only if absolutely necessary.

“Where no immediate action is possible to the Inspector the memorial may be cordoned off with barrier tape, and a sign will be placed on the memorial to inform visitors that it is unsafe.”

To my way of thinking not one of these points have been adhered to as the whole situation has not been conducted in a professional way.

This destruction of Loughborough’s Heritage should stop immediately and go back to the drawing board.