Grave concern over cemetery eyesore
Families upset
Graves were crushed when a giant construction fence was hauled down inside a cemetery.
Mourners slammed the “appalling” scene at Ayr’s Holmston Road.
And they claim families are being put off paying their respects because headstones are surrounded by “a building site”.
Work is underway to dig 28 new plots at the council cemetery.
But families insist current graves are being given no privacy while the lengthy work takes place.
One mourner said: “You could tell the minute work started that it was happening too close to the current lairs.
“There is barely any space between the fencing and the plots and this was an accident waiting to happen.
“Sure enough we turned up to discover the fences hauled over and piled on top of the lairs.
“People are going up there for funerals and they’re stood in the middle of a building site.
“It’s incredibly upsetting.”
Work to increase the size of the cemetery began shortly after Christmas.
The mourner added: “These things don’t happen overnight.
“But the pace of the work could be quicker, given the sensitivity of this job.
“I know for a fact this is now putting people off visiting.”
A council spokesman blamed vandals for the distressing scene.
They said: “When we were made aware that the fencing had been pulled down, we took immediate action to fix it.
“Thankfully no headstones were damaged as a result of this mindless act of vandalism.
“The work is on schedule to finish in March this year and contractors continue to work around any services taking place so that people can reflect and remember in peace.”