I am now a competent topple tester, having completed a course with the National Association of Memorial Masons and I am able to assess whether a headstone is unsafe and what maintenance if any it is likely to need.

During my course I discovered that this problem stretches to every corner of the Country and I am pleased to report that Bassetlaw Council has at my instigation agreed to have its own staff trained up in the same way.

This points to a sensible solution, whereby the council stops putting health and safety inspections out to private contractors. Instead the council should use its own staff, if necessary by employing more or more likely paying some overtime. After all it is the council staff who are the ones working alongside the memorials.

The course was fascinating, including a lot of geology on stone types and likely weaknesses causing problems.

I also now have a list of every serious incident in a cemetery for the last few decades and there are very few. I have of course had one or two smart alecs challenging the facts, but all from outside the area and none with the full facts.

By Christmas it should be possible to have the vast majority of staked memorials unstaked and those few needing some work to have this work clearly specified.

What I find perplexing is that the council jumped into this mire so readily, as did other councils, but appears happy to have cars parked very dangerously outside its front entrance. Surely this is a much more serious health and safety hazard?

I think that government needs to act to clarify the law and avoid this anguish again and I have requested a meeting with the Minister and a Parliamentary debate to make this happen.

I visited the new sixth form centre this week to speak to students and it is mightily impressive. A world apart from the old school environment, I would expect our sixth formers to flourish there this year and in the future. At the same time a number of 17 year old are taking on the examination of the issue of alcohol and young people. I will not prejudge their findings, but I believe that we must involve our youth fully in all matters and ensure that their voice is heard.