AN INVERKEITHING family have expressed their heartbreak after two memorials were vandalised at Hillend Cemetery.

Isobel Ward and sons Frank, Anthony and Graham were devastated to discover the headstone of their much-loved husband and father, Frank, had been damaged and knocked over.

To make mattters worse, a memorial stone for Frank’s father, Peter Ward, was also smashed up in what appeared to be isolated acts at the cemetery.

Son Frank, who now lives in Blackpool, told the Press that the whole family was distressed.

“My dad died of motor neurone disease 23 years ago. It is upsetting and annoying that they have damaged my poor dad’s grave after all he suffered and our grief is getting relived,” he said.

“It is not just a little bit of damage – the headstone is down to the ground and looks like it has been sledge-hammered.

“They are the only ones that have been damaged. I think it is linked but don’t know who would do this as my dad died 23 years ago and my grandad 43 years ago. Why wait all this time? It may have been coincidence as another grave down from my dad was spray-painted.”

Isobel, 68, of Hillfield Crescent, told the Press she was “devastated” when neighbours told her about the damage.

“I haven’t been to see it – I just cannot go,” she said. “It is so hard because you lose your partner and you pay all that money out to bury him for it to get vandalised. The boys have stood it back up again but it is very wobbly now.

“It was my husband’s gravestone and then my father-in-law’s memorial which they have smashed to smithereens. Police cannot do anything as there is no CCTV. It is really terrible. My father-in-law has been there for 43 years.

“These people are evil, they are wicked. My next door neighbour had been on Friday night and it was OK so we think it happened some time between Friday and Monday.”

Fife Council service manager – bereavement services (burials & cremations), Liz Murphy, urged anyone with information about the incident to get in touch with police.

She added: “There have been incidents in the past where monuments have been damaged in the cemetery and we have had interaction with the police on how we deal with this.

"It is particularly upsetting when things like this happen and I can understand how upsetting it is for the family involved.”

A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Police in Dunfermline are investigating after two headstones within the Hillend Cemetery in Clockluine Road were damaged sometime between Friday, June 29 and Monday, July 2.

“Inquiries to identify those responsible are ongoing and anyone with information is asked to come forward and quote incident number 4008 of July 2.”