A DEVASTATED family have accused council workers of ‘desecrating’ their relative’s grave after finding it buried under four feet of soil and rubble.

Retired barman Thomas Harkin, 69, died in May this year, and was buried in North Dalnottar Cemetery, Clydebank, after a funeral in St Mary’s Church.

The family – who are waiting for a headstone to be fitted at the grave – have been visiting regularly and have placed flowers and vases at the site.

But last week, Thomas’s son Colin found the pile of rubble and soil on top of his dad’s grave – with loving memorials to his beloved father tossed to the side.

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He was told by site workers “not to worry, it will be clear tomorrow afternoon”.

Daughter Geraldine Oxford, 41, later visited the grave and broke down after seeing the mess.

And when Mary Harkin, Thomas’s partner of 54 years, heard what had happened, she was “totally distraught”.

Geraldine added: “My mum is in bits and struggling to deal with the grief as it is, never mind this. She’s totally disgusted.

“She’s not slept at all and cannot believe they are this thoughtless and insensitive to do anything like this to anyone’s grave, never mind her husband’s.

“We can’t sit at home and talk to him any more. That’s the only place we can go and visit him so to do that, it is so insensitive.

“This was the week they would always book their wee annual holiday. She’s devastated, and this has made it so much harder.”

Geraldine said: “We could not even place our flowers because they desecrated the grave.

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“You could not see any of the grass. There was free space at the other side where this soil could have gone.

“To the grave diggers it is just a piece of grass, but the reality is, it’s my dad’s resting place.”

Council rules have always prevented decorations, particularly walls and fences, and the authority has previously issued notes for people to remove them – before workers do. In 2016, nearly 2000 people signed a petition against this issue.

Geraldine added: “We’re speaking out about it so nobody else goes through what we are going through right now. It’s heart-breaking and just not fair.”

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The family contacted West Dunbartonshire Council to complain about the issue and were told it will be investigated, but the council has since said the practice of placing the soil on neighbouring graves is protocol.

A spokeswoman for the council told the Evening Times sister title, the Clydebank Post: “We would like to apologise to this resident for any upset caused. In preparing a lair for a burial, it is necessary to store the removed soil on an adjacent plot for a short period of time.

"This is common practice in cemeteries across Scotland and is the most efficient way to deliver this vital service.

“We carefully and sympathetically manage our operations to ensure any disruption is kept to an absolute minimum and all plots are restored and tributes returned as soon as possible.”