A Good Samaritan who voluntarily cleans neglected gravestones in a South Tyneside cemetery has been threatened with legal action by the local council. Ben McGregor, 25, from Hebburn, began cleaning headstones and paving as a way to help his community after losing both his best friend and father to suicide.
How It Started
Mr McGregor first cleaned a relative's grave, then one belonging to an elderly gentleman who could no longer manage. After receiving overwhelming positive feedback, he set up a Facebook page called 'Hebburn Cemetery Gravestone Transformations' to share his work and receive further requests. He always ensures he has permission from grave owners before starting any project.
The Council's Intervention
However, South Tyneside Council has now ordered him to stop. A council spokesman stated that once they became aware graves were being cleaned 'without authorisation', they were required to 'step in'. The spokesman added that it 'would be inappropriate to allow the general cleaning of memorials in areas where safety checks have not taken place', and that checks on 'safety, risk assessments, insurance and liability' would need to be carried out before any voluntary cleaning could continue.
Mr McGregor described the situation as 'health and safety gone mad'. He said: 'I was sitting on my dad's bench in the graveyard and I couldn't help but notice what a state it was in. I thought to myself, why not do something about it? I lost my dad to suicide in 2012, and my best mate also took his own life five years ago. I have suffered with my own mental health. If I am helping other people it helps me.'
Community Support
Despite the council's threats, Mr McGregor has been inundated with support from those whose loved ones are buried in the cemetery. One well-wisher commented on his Facebook page: 'You are a wonderful, kind and caring human being, I'm sure your Dad will be looking down with immense pride.' Another, Pam Sutton, donated money for cleaning materials, saying: 'Very happy to cover for the cost of materials to help you keep up this kind and wonderful work.'
Mr McGregor has so far transformed 24 graves using only soap, water, and a bristle brush. He inspects each gravestone carefully before starting and abandons any that are 'wobbly' or 'crumbling'. He says he has no plans to stop, despite being told by the council that they may take legal action.
The Council's Position
A spokesperson for South Tyneside Council said: 'We greatly value the work of volunteers who help care for our cemeteries and work closely with several established Friends of Cemetery groups across the borough. A borough-wide memorial inspection programme is currently underway and not all cemeteries have yet been inspected. It would be inappropriate to allow the general cleaning of memorials in areas where safety checks have not taken place, and as a precaution all voluntary groups were asked to pause memorial-related work in those locations.'
The council added that professional stonemasons are able to continue working because they are 'regulated, registered and insured', and that once they became aware of the unauthorised cleaning, they were required to step in to ensure everything is done safely and properly.
Mr McGregor, however, remains defiant. He said: 'The council have said they are going to take legal action against me. It's just ludicrous. I have no plans to stop.'
