A campaigner who has been calling for improvements at a Renfrewshire cemetery has given evidence to a Scottish Parliament committee.

Des Barr, who formed the Friends of Hawkhead Cemetery group last year, was recently invited to attend and speak at the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee at Holyrood.

The committee was hearing evidence about how local authorities throughout Scotland were interpreting government guidance on health and safety in graveyards.

Friends of Hawkhead Cemetery have been campaigning for Renfrewshire Council to suspend the toppling of headstones until the Scottish Government issues standardised regulations over the issue.

Des told the committee: "Our biggest concern is about the anxiety, the anguish and the distress. There's so many adjectives that people have used to describe that to me.

"It is most distressing for people to turn up to visit a grave and see the headstone lying flat. 

"And there is quite a number of people who just can't believe this is happened to their member of family and they've not had any communication from the council directly."

After the committee meeting, Des said: "I was very impressed by Councillor Andrew Stuart Wood and how he has campaigned on this issue and also our West of Scotland Regional MSP Paul O’Kane who also attended the committee and spoke in support of our campaign.

"The members of the committee seemed very receptive to our arguments and our view that things need to be done differently. Once the committee members finish taking evidence on the issue, I hope they will support what we are trying to achieve for people who have family and friends buried in council-run cemeteries."

A Renfrewshire Council spokesperson said: "We are committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for visitors and our staff in Renfrewshire cemeteries and churchyards. We aim to ensure all work is carried out as respectfully as possible.

"Following the tragic death of a child in a Scottish cemetery, the Scottish Government published guidance in 2019 for local authorities to make sure memorials are safe. After the guidance was published, we agreed a policy for inspecting memorial monuments and headstones. Any dangerous or unsafe memorials are laid flat to protect staff and visitors.

"We recognise the sensitivities and importance of these graves. We will continue to ensure they are managed respectfully and are sensitively preserved while we carry out the required safety measures.

"Unfortunately it isn't always possible to reach lair owners before work is carried out. When a memorial or headstone is laid flat it is tagged with a marker notice to provide lair holders with details on how to contact us to ensure their memorial meets the required safety standards. There is also signage at each cemetery with the same information."