A businessman has stepped in to secure the repair of Sir JM Barrie’s vandalised grave in his home town of Kirriemuir.
The author’s final resting place was targeted last week. A number of coping stones were knocked from the grave at Kirrie cemetery on The Hill, with some being dumped elsewhere in the graveyard.
Angus Council leader and Kirrie councillor Iain Gaul was among those who expressed disgust at the actions of the vandals, but said he had been heartened to receive the offer of help from the local businessman.
“This is a generous gesture which counterbalances the damage that was done, but nothing is going to counterbalance the thinking behind what the people did,” said Mr Gaul.
He added: “After the vandalism was highlighted I walked into Cosla for a major meeting to discuss big issues, and the only thing council leaders and others from across Scotland wanted to speak to me about was what had happened to the Barrie grave and share their view that they thought it was an absolute disgrace.
“As a council we have been trying to contact the Barrie family to let them know what will be done, and this offer shows that there are people within the community prepared to do something to help right this wrong,” he said.
The businessman said: “I was just disgusted and couldn’t believe what had been done. I have access to local people who should be able to repair the damage.
“It might help show that there’s a lot more good in Kirrie than there is bad, but that doesn’t get away from the fact that this happened.
“It may be that it was just youngsters who did this, but that’s no excuse.
“They will have parents and those parents should be mortified if their children were involved.
“Kirriemuir has been proud of JM Barrie for over 150 years and I wonder what JM Barrie would think now?”
Photo byAngus Pictures