A SALTCOATS woman has blasted North Ayrshire Council for moving a family gravestone without warning – and dumping it on another family’s plot.

Jackie Hamilton was visiting the grave at Ardrossan Cemetery where her grandfather, grandmother and uncle are laid to rest on April 2 – the 31st anniversary of her grandfather Robert Hamilton’s death aged 64.

She took flowers to lay on the grave as she does every year on the anniversary. When Jackie arrived, she was horrified to find the headstone had been removed and placed on another family’s plot and the area littered with rubble.

After approaching a council employee who was working in the cemetery to get an explanation, she was told a nearby wall had to be demolished and rebuilt as it was ‘dangerous’ and some headstones had to be moved.

When she asked the council worker what she should do with the flowers, she claims she was told ‘lay them on someone else’s grave’.

Jackie said: “That is not acceptable. It is totally disrespectful.

"The whole place was a shambles covered with concrete and rubble everywhere.

“We were given no notice that the headstones were to be moved.

“My dad is not in the best of health and is registered blind so isn’t able to visit the cemetery often, but even if he had there’s no way I would have taken him to see that mess as it would have been too much for him.” A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “We apologise for any inconvenience but we are currently carrying out essential wall repairs.

“We wrote to all title holders and also ran adverts in the local press to inform them that this work was taking place.

“The headstones were taken down to protect them from damage and to allow workers access to the wall for work to be carried out.

"The headstones were all laid down carefully and respectfully “We can assure all title holders that all headstones will be re-erected in their original position, with a new foundation, when the work is complete.

"The project is anticipated to last 10 weeks.

“The council appreciates the sensitivities involved in these circumstances and our staff endeavour to always act in a highly professional manner.

“Any formal complaints against members of staff would always be investigated thoroughly.”