Graveyard vandalism 'an act of sacrilege' at Somerton cemetery
Headstone memorials have fallen victim to “mindless” vandalism at Somerton cemetery.
A total of six grave sites at the Behind Berry cemetery were targeted in the attack that happened last month.
The vandals pushed over the headstones, leaving two with damage that will cost Somerton Town Council hundreds of pounds to repair.
The incident was reported to police at a recent town council meeting. It was discovered by gardeners who maintain the site, and it is thought the damage happened in the days leading up to the meeting.
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Vice chairman Barrie Davies said: “It is not known when the vandalism occurred but it is very recent.
“The members of council were dismayed over the mindless and disrespectful damage which will take several hundred pounds to repair.”
The council is set to instruct a stonemason to carry out the repairs to the damaged headstones.
Mr Davies said these and the other memorials that had been pushed over will be put back in place and secured with stainless steel spikes.
He added: “What tends to happen with vandalism is that if you leave the affected area, people think you don’t care and they have another go. But we do care. We have recognised it and asked for it to be repaired as soon as possible.
“There is a derelict site opposite with a derelict house which has suffered problems in the past.
“The developer who is waiting to build a care home there has been doing his best but it’s a bit of a target and they might have come across to the cemetery.
“We’ve never really experienced these problems before and hopefully we won’t again – but now council funds will have to be used to repair the damage.”
Eirian Williams, town council chairman, said the crime had shocked members.
He said: “I can’t even think what age group of people would do this. It’s totally unacceptable. We have reported it to police and we want to put a stop to it. It’s like sacrilege, it’s the resting place of people’s loved ones, and they’re all Somerton people so if it’s someone from Somerton who has done it then it’s even harder to understand.”
A police spokesman said inquiries are continuing.
Comments
by donna_kebab
Sunday, January 06 2013, 10:38PM
“Or even, if they can ever get the crop out of the ground, the rotten potatoes from the flooding. All would not then have been in vain.........”
by nigant
Friday, January 04 2013, 12:10PM
“To their tiny minds, this is clever. Their single brain cells cannot grasp that it is wrong, pathetic, sub human and that it shows them to be morons!
Their parents are as much to blame as they are and are probably of about the same intelligence level, nil!
This is where it would serve well to bring back the stocks, they could be put on show and made to be totally shamed by their ignorant behaviour. Plus it would be a good way to get rid of rotten tomatoes.”
by nigant
Friday, January 04 2013, 12:10PM
“To their tiny minds, this is clever. Their single brain cells cannot grasp that it is wrong, pathetic, sub human and that it shows them to be morons!
Their parents are as much to blame as they are and are probably of about the same intelligence level, nil!
This is where it would serve well to bring back the stocks, they could be put on show and made to be totally shamed by their ignorant behaviour. Plus it would be a good way to get rid of rotten tomatoes.”