'Nothing short of vandalism' - concerns over graveyard works in Scottish village of Sanquhar
Report by Bruce McKenzie
For families with loved ones buried there, Sanquhar's old cemetery offered a place to reflect on those who'd gone before. But now, it stirs very different emotions.
Gravestone upon gravestone has been broken up, moved and dug into the ground hiding names. Memorials are now resting in pieces.
David Drife said: "We're really upset. These are our ancestors, if it wasn't for them we wouldn't be here. I mean for God's sake, let's show them some respect."
It is not the work of vandals, but officially sanctioned safety works by a council contractor.
Liz Drife said: "People come to Sanquhar year after year to look at the stones, that's their heritage. They want to know where they came from.
"Part of that history has now been taken away."
Councils have been looking at the safety of graveyards after the death of an eight-year-old in Glasgow in 2015, and works were deemed essential in Sanquhar.
The families insist the council has breached regulations and have taken their case to the ombudsman and police Scotland. Dumfries and Galloway Council didn't respond to our request to discuss the situation.
Local councillor Andrew Wood says it's an embarrassment.
He said: "It should never have happened. There's a failure in our commissioning, our procurement, in our risk assessments and all our policies."
Local memorial mason Dougie Swan, who trains stonemasons across the country, says it's simply not good enough.
He said: "It's an abomination, to be honest. Stone has been buried in the ground, in what we call a grave space. That should never happen.
With the legal wrangling likely to continue, it may be some time before quiet is restored at Sanquhar's cemetery.
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