A grieving widow has made an emotional plea for the community to help identify the cruel vandals who damaged her husband’s grave in Kirriemuir cemetery.
The latest in a worrying spate of incidents saw deep marks gouged into the memorial to Millar Watson at the graveyard on The Hill, less than two years’ after his wife, Rae and family, laid the cancer victim to rest.
Mrs Watson has been too upset to go and see the damaged stone for herself, but the incident has caused further outrage in Kirrie after young hooligans were condemned for their “disrespectful” behaviour in the wake of Remembrance Sunday when one youngster was seen wearing a poppy wreath from the war memorial around his neck.
Kirriemuir Cemetery was also the scene of a vandalism attack last October.
Police are investigating the damage to Mr Watson’s headstone and his heartbroken widow said she is sure someone will know who was responsible.
“It’s terrible that someone has done this, but my girls have said to me that I shouldn’t go up to see it because I would be too upset,” said 73-year-old Mrs Watson.
“We’ve done a lot of crying over this, to think that someone could take something and make deep scores along the top and down the sides of the stone is just awful.
“We don’t know if any other stones were damaged, there are a few around about where his is, but I wouldn’t like anyone to go through what we have after finding out that this has happened,” she added.
“It will be two years in February since he died.
“I think about him every day, but this is a time of the year when you think even more about those you have lost.
“Every fortnight we would lay flowers and they were never touched, but I I can’t even go up there until this is fixed,” said Mrs Watson.
“I just feel that it must be quite obvious that someone knows about this and who did it, and I hope that they will tell the police before more people like myself have to suffer.”
A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Police Scotland is making inquiries following a vandalism to a headstone at Kirriemuir Cemetery that happened sometime between 11am on Friday December 2 and 10.30am on Sunday, December 4.
“Anyone who was in the area over the weekend and saw or heard anything that could assist officers with their enquiries is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101.”
Last week The Courier reported the community’s fury after wreaths laid on Remembrance Sunday were stolen from the town war memorial at the cemetery.
Despite the community council organising metal frames to make the wreaths more secure, youths are believed to have been responsible for climbing into the locked graveyard under cover of darkness and taking at least three wreaths.
