A volunteer who cleans neglected gravestones in Hebburn Cemetery has been told by South Tyneside Council to stop until he obtains the necessary permissions and safeguards.
Ben McGregor, 26, launched the Hebburn Cemetery Gravestone Transformations Facebook page to clean headstones on behalf of families who may no longer be able to maintain them.
Mr McGregor, who lost his father and best friend to suicide, says cleaning graves has helped him manage his grief and improve his mental health. He is now calling on the council to allow him to continue his voluntary work.
Mr McGregor said he began cleaning his father’s grave after noticing how neglected many headstones in the cemetery had become.
“After losing my dad and best mate to suicide, I would visit the cemetery and notice how neglected the gravestones were,” he said. “I started cleaning my dad’s and noticed how much it helped not only my grief but my mental health. I thought to myself, what better way to help others and the community than to do this?”
He added: “For others, going to the gym or playing golf helps with mental health, but for me it is cleaning gravestones. This is like a resting place for my dad, his home, and I always wanted it kept clean.”
Mr McGregor said the appreciation shown by families was the most important part of the work.
“I have done over 20 gravestones, and the appreciation of the families and the smiles on their faces is all that matters to me. I just want to help families and keep the cemetery looking respectful,” he said. “It means a lot to people who cannot do it themselves.”
South Tyneside Council told the Giste it became aware that graves in Hebburn were being cleaned “without authorisation” and formally asked Mr McGregor to stop.
A council spokesperson said: “Let us be absolutely clear, there is no restriction on Ben McGregor visiting or volunteering in Hebburn Cemetery. He has been formally asked to cease unauthorised memorial cleaning.”
The council said volunteer groups had already been asked to pause memorial-related work as part of a borough-wide memorial inspection programme. It said memorials at Hebburn Cemetery had yet to be inspected.
“Mr McGregor was subsequently advised that memorial cleaning could not continue without the necessary permissions and safeguards,” the spokesperson said. “We have explained the requirements to Mr McGregor and await the necessary documentation for consideration.”
The council said permission from the registered grave owner was one requirement for third-party cleaning, alongside appropriate qualifications, public liability insurance, risk assessments and prior council approval.
It said that individual grave owners and relatives cleaning a memorial in which they had a personal interest were different from repeated third-party activity across multiple memorials.
“Unauthorised third-party work on privately owned memorials raises risks around safety, potential damage and liability,” the spokesperson said.
The council said it had a responsibility to protect grave owners, volunteers and visitors, and could not set aside safety requirements or expose others to avoidable risk.
“We have worked constructively with Ben McGregor, explaining our concerns and requirements on several occasions, face to face, verbally and in writing,” the spokesperson said.
Mr McGregor said he is complying with the council’s requests for documentation but believes it is frustrating his efforts. He also accused the council of pressuring him to register as a business, something he says he does not want to do.
The council denied that it had required him to become a business. It said establishing a business was raised as “one possible option” during discussions about how he might continue his work, and that support had been offered.
“It was not a requirement imposed by the council, which does not generate any income from the maintenance or cleaning of memorials,” the spokesperson said.
“This is not about preventing volunteering or singling out any individual. The same position applies to volunteer groups and other third parties carrying out this type of activity. We remain willing to work constructively with Ben McGregor to find an appropriate way forward.”
Despite the dispute, Mr McGregor has received support from people in Hebburn, with many calling for the council to allow him to continue.
A petition has been launched calling on South Tyneside Council to allow Ben McGregor to continue cleaning gravestones in Hebburn Cemetery.
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