Powys County Council will begin work next month to make unsafe memorials safe in its cemeteries after an inspection found a number of unstable headstones.

The authority said memorials identified as unstable earlier this year will be laid flat or secured “by other appropriate means” to prevent accidents and ensure the sites remain safe for visitors.

The work follows an inspection programme that classified headstones into three categories: unsafe and in need of immediate attention, unstable but not posing an immediate risk, and stable.

Memorials in the most serious category were made safe at the time of inspection, while others were marked with amber warning notices advising families to carry out repairs within six months.

That period has now passed, and from November the council’s contractor will begin revisiting those sites to make the necessary safety adjustments.

Bilingual notices will be displayed at cemetery entrances before work begins.

Cllr Richard Church, Powys Council’s Cabinet Member for a Safer Powys, said the council recognised how important memorials are to families but had a duty to keep cemeteries safe.

He said: “We understand how important memorials are to families, and we want to give people every opportunity to make the necessary repairs. However, we must also ensure that our cemeteries remain safe places for everyone to visit.

“If a Category 2 memorial has not been repaired, we will have no choice but to lay it flat or make it safe in another way.”

Families seeking more information can contact the council’s Environmental Protection Service by emailing [email protected] or calling 01938 551300.

Powys County Council manages 18 cemeteries across the county.

The council is responsible for burial bookings, keeping accurate grave and burial records, processing memorial applications and issuing deeds for exclusive rights to burial.