Students played noughts and crosses on body

DUNDEE: Probe was launched after misuse of corpse was discovered by officials

Medical students at Dundee University played noughts and crosses on a cadaver donated for research and training, it has been revealed.

Education bosses were forced to launch a probe after the sick game was discovered by officials, but investigators have so far been unable to identify the culprits.

It is understood every student with access to the body was quizzed at the time of the incident in November 2016 and ultimately reminded of their duties and responsibilities when working with cadavers.

The incident only came to light following a series of freedom of information requests sent to every university in Scotland asking whether there had been any cases of bodies being mistreated or defaced by students.

Dundee was the only institution to report such an incident and the university confirmed it held an investigation into the matter “in co-operation with and to the satisfaction of HM Inspector of Anatomy for Scotland”.

Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary Miles Briggs described the incident as a “shocking episode which will be an unwelcome black mark on Dundee University’s spotless medical record”.

Professor Tracey Wilkinson from the centre for anatomy and human identification at the university stressed that the incident, the first of its kind at the institution, was treated very seriously.