SEVERAL West Fife families were left shocked after discovering their loved ones’ graves at Douglas Bank Cemetery have been vandalised.

Three plots at Pattiesmuir, near Rosyth, were found on Monday night to have been trashed in some way with flowers thrown in the bin and strewn across the path.

Items on the last resting places had also been taken which made locals think that this had been a targeted attack on graves that are visited regularly.

One woman, who wishes to stay anonymous, was heartbroken to find after half an hour of searching that the flowers from her mother’s grave had just been dumped in a bin and a ceramic pot used to hold them had been tossed up a lane.

Her mother only passed away just over a month ago.

She told the Press: “Me and my sister have been every night to visit for the last month and we’ve always been blown over by how beautifully-kept the cemetery is.

“It’s just completely thrown us because it’s brought us such a sense of comfort each day.

“We just feel intensely disappointed that some people could just throw things away that you’ve worked so hard to care for.

“We’re only in the early stages of grief and things like this can bring it all back again. It’s very upsetting.

“When we arrive at the cemetery now I think it will be tense for us wondering what we might discover,” the woman added.

“There are people that are affected by the decisions these vandals make and I hope they remember that.

“Hopefully, it was just mindless vandals, because it’s worrying to think that this could have been more sinister.

“I’m also really grateful to the family who also found their loved one’s grave in the same way. It was nice that we could support each other in such a horrible situation.”

Mitch Graham, from Fife Council, said: “We have every sympathy with the families affected by these acts that show such a shocking lack of respect and consideration for other people’s feelings.

“We work closely with community police. They installed a CCTV camera at the cemetery some time ago and we have reported this incident to them, as we will report any and every incidence of vandalism or inappropriate behaviour in our cemeteries.”

Last week, the Press reported that two memorial stones were smashed at Hillend Cemetery. Police are still carrying out inquiries into the incident.