The horrific scenes of headstones in Lewes District Council cemeteries being deliberately toppled are beyond belief.

The cost of restoration will be huge - even at only £166 each for 600 headstones, it would total almost £100,000.

The cost in damages for pain and anguish, should this action be deemed inappropriate in a lawsuit, would far exceed that figure.

If a committee authorised this monstrous action, when did it meet, were minutes taken and what, if any, expert advice was presented?

If no committee was involved, which individual took on the responsibility?

Greater detail is needed of the tragic death of the six-year-old girl in Harrogate that inspired this action.

Was she alone, with other children or under the guidance of adults? Did she push the memorial or was it pushed upon her? What was the nature and condition of the stone that fell?

How scientific is the ram-gun test? Is the tester trained, qualified and supervised by an expert? What guidelines are in place regarding the point on the stone where the ram should be placed?

These questions should be answered before further damage is done to what is, after all, private property.

-B J Davis, Dorothy Avenue, Peacehaven