John Mann MP says no-one has been killed by falling headstones in churchyards in the past 10 years.

Yet families are being forced to pay for graves to be made safe in local council graveyards because of "inaccurate" risk assessment tests.

After paying for an independent "topple test" at a graveyard in his Bassetlaw constituency, Mr Mann claims 95% of headstone staking is unneccessary.

"Millions of pounds is wasted and it causes tremendous upset for the families," the Bassetlaw MP told BBC News.

The "topple tests" are contracted out to private companies and there is a "financial incentive for them to deem everything unsafe", added Mr Mann.

The MP says he is hoping to become accredited as a gravestone "topple tester" so that he can independently check whether head stones need to be shored up.  

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The full article can be read on the BBC website.

John Mann MP also apeared on the Jeremy Vine Show today (2 November 2007) which can be listened to online.