CORBRIDGE Parish Council has set aside cash to help residents whose loved ones grave-stones have been damaged by flooding.

Burials at the cemetery on Dilston Road were suspended in December after large parts of it were left under water.

A section of boundary wall was also washed away while around a dozen gravestones were damaged by the force of Storm Desmond, which struck on December 5.

At the latest meeting of the parish council, resident Carol Southern said: “My late husband, who died in 1998, is buried there and his grave stone is one of the ones which have been knocked down by flood water.”

“This is the second time it has happened.

“And, as you can imagine, it’s quite upsetting.

“I wondered when the wall was likely to be rebuilt and whether the restoration of the grave stones will be covered by the council?”

Chairman Coun. Maurice Hodgson explained that the council’s clerk Mandy Senior had received two quotes for repairs to the boundary wall, which had been forwarded to the council’s insurers.

He said: “The expectation is that individual families have their own insurance to cover the headstones. However, we realise that may not be the case for everyone.

“Our insurers have told us they won’t cover it because it is the responsibility of the families, but we have put an amount in the budget and we are happy to talk to individuals about how we might help towards the costs.”

Coun. Hodgson said that agreements issued by the council for use of the cemetery would be ammended in future to reflect that fact that insurance for headstones is required.