CONFUSION reigned this week after the memorial at the gardens in Ardrossan’s Glasgow Street appeared to be wiped of all names of those who served.

But the 180 degree turn of the memorial stone is part of a plan of changes at the gardens, local Legion President Alistair Kennedy told the Herald.

We were contacted by Ardrossan man Jim Paton whose grandfather James McCubbin is amongst the men remembered on the memorial and he said the change is a ‘bloody disgrace’.

He told us: “It’s facing the wrong way, you now need to walk through the flower beds and across the grass to read the names. It’s a bloody disgrace. I didn’t notice it until I used the new gate at the back and seen the names.”

The traditional way in which the stone was facing is now blank but that won’t be like that for long, according to President Kennedy.

He said that the change has been made for safety reasons and as part of an ongoing plan.

Alistair said: “The memorial was taken down for safety reasons as when there’s events on people spill out on to the pavement and road and we want the gardens to be used. We wanted it to be turned.

“We hope to have an inscription on the blank side looking out on to the road.

“This is part of an ongoing plan.”