Grieving parents have been given just 10 days to remove tributes to deceased babies from a crematorium after Aberdeen City Council deemed them a safety hazard.
The local authority said it will carry out improvements at Hazlehead Cemetery after safety concerns were raised over memorabilia being left on the grass area.
A statement from the council said that memorials left on the grass may be caught up and thrown from machinery, which could cause severe injury to visitors or to cemetery staff.
Anyone who has memorabilia on the grass at a grave in the small babies’ section has until April 1 to remove it. Any remaining items will be moved into a walled paved area around the Sands memorial until May 19 and then stored for a further six weeks until June 30.
A council spokeswoman said: “We appreciate that this is a sensitive and emotional matter for everyone concerned, and we are carrying out this work in the interests of trying to satisfy and respect the needs of all cemetery users, as well as ensure the maintenance of the cemetery is carried out safely.
“The tasks will be carried out by our staff in a sensitive and dignified manner, and we hope people will understand why the improvements are being carried out.”
