A vicar slammed maintenance workers at a Cornish graveyard, who removed a gravestone, saying it was a "wanton act of desecration."
Reverend Stewart Turner criticised CORMAC Solutions workers after they removed the stone which they said was in danger of toppling over.
Reverend Turner said he was "incensed" when he discovered the damaged headstone at St Constantine Church.
He told the West Briton: "They were carrying out a safety survey in the graveyard and they broke the headstone saying it was dangerous.
"It had been pegged with steel pegs and our own survey showed it was safe. I am incensed that they went into a sacred space and destroyed something that has been there for a very long time without recourse to anybody what-so-ever. It was wanton desecration."
In a statement Cornwall Council said CORMAC was asked to carry out safety inspections at all of its 83 closed churchyards, including the one at Constantine.
Although gravestones remain in the ownership of the family of the deceased, the council is responsible for the safety of the site, including the monuments.
It added: "Over the past 30 years there have a number of incidents in cemeteries across the UK where unstable memorials have toppled onto people, including children, resulting in eight deaths and a number of serious injuries.
"In some circumstances this may mean removing it before being able to inform the owner of the grave. Actions may include laying headstones down, structurally supporting them, cordoning them off, or carrying out immediate repairs."
It said the 1.5metre headstone at Constantine was a potential risk to the safety of visitors because it was leaning precariously into the main path of the cemetery and had considerable movement and signs of cracking.
The authority added: "A senior inspection confirmed that the top half of the structure, above the original crack, was extremely unstable and could have failed at any time. The staff were instructed to make the head stone safe as quickly as possible, which involved removing the unstable top half of the structure...in cases such as this where the headstone could have fallen at any time, the council was required to take immediate action."
It has since contacted Rev Turner to discuss repairing and installing the memorial as quickly as possible.
