A council has threatened a Good Samaritan with legal action for voluntarily cleaning neglected gravestones.
Ben McGregor, 25, who lost his father and best friend to suicide, voluntarily washes headstones in order to "do his bit for the community".
Mr McGregor manages his cleaning requests through a Facebook page, and said he always ensures he has the permission of the grave owners before embarking on any project.
South Tyneside Council ordered him to stop after it was "made aware" that graves in Hebburn were being cleaned "without authorisation".
The council added that it would be "inappropriate" to allow memorials to be cleaned "in areas where safety checks have not taken place".
Safety, risk, insurance and liability checks needed to be carried out before Mr McGregor could continue his cleaning, it said.
Mr McGregor said the letter was "health and safety gone mad".
He has now vowed to continue his cleaning after receiving support from the community in Hebburn.
Ben McGregor has cleaned 24 gravestones so far - and said he does not plan to stop
|FACEBOOK/HEBBURN CEMETERY GRAVESTONE TRANSFORMATIONS
He told the Mail: "I was sitting on my dad's bench in the graveyard and I couldn't help but notice what a state it was in.
"I thought to myself, why not do something about it? I lost my dad to suicide in 2012, and my best mate also took his own life five years ago.
"I have suffered with my own mental health. If I am helping other people it helps me."
He said the council's letter "has blown my mind" and added it was "doing my head in".
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Mr McGregor has used soap, water, and a bristle brush to clean 24 graves so far.
On his Facebook page, Hebburn Cemetery Gravestone Transformations, he has received glowing messages such as "You are a wonderful, kind and caring human being, I’m sure your Dad will be looking down with immense pride", "you're doing amazing" and "keep up the good work".
He was first notified by South Tyneside Council in March, where he was told to stop cleaning the graves.
Several days later, he said he received a second call from the council where he was told: "You need to stop now."
Ben McGregor said South Tyneside Council told him to 'stop now' after learning he cleaned gravestones voluntarily
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He said: "I did not know I needed permission from the council. I always make sure I have the permission of the grave owners, and have seen their lease for plot.
"The council told me grave cleaning has to be done by a professional and that even the owners can't touch them.
"They say I need a health and safety certificate, but this is health and safety gone mad."
A spokesman for South Tyneside Council said: "We greatly value the work of volunteers who help care for our cemeteries and work closely with several established Friends of Cemetery groups across the borough.
"A borough‑wide memorial inspection programme is currently underway and not all cemeteries have yet been inspected."
It added that it would be "inappropriate" to allow memorials to be cleaned in areas where standard checks for safety, risk, assessments, insurance and liability have not yet taken place, and has asked all volunteer groups to pause cleaning.
The council said it had a "legal responsibility" to ensure activity in the cemetery did not expose people or the council to liability risks, adding that professional stonemasons were able to continue working as they are registered, regulated, insured, and notify the council of their activity.
South Tyneside Council concluded: "Once the council became aware that memorials were being cleaned without authorisation, it was required to step in.
"This reflects the council's general duty to uphold cemetery regulations and is about ensuring everything is done safely and properly, with further discussions planned once checks are complete."