An elderly Dundee woman was ”almost sick” after her husband’s grave in Birkhill Cemetery was submerged by floodwater for the second time in as many years.
Christine Finnigan arrived at the gates of the graveyard over the weekend following Friday’s heavy rain.
She found the grave, along with many others near the main entrance, had been cordoned off due to flooding.
The 71-year-old added that at its worst, there was around eight inches of water lapping against headstones, resulting in flowers and other mementos being lifted from gravesides.
Some of the treasured items have been bundled into a small heap in the corner of the graveyard for loved ones to recover. Others, including an ornamental prayer book, could be seen lying in bushes.
Mrs Finnigan was left so upset by the episode that she has been unable to return.
”This has been a very emotional time for me,” she said. ”I was promised faithfully this would not happen again after the last time a couple of years ago.
”It’s just not on and very upsetting. It’s bad enough going along there without having to cope with something like that.
”It’s a place where you should be able to go and have peaceful reflection but when I got there I was almost sick.
”I have been too upset to go back it’s horrendous.”
Early last year The Courier reported on a similar incident of flooding at the cemetery, which was described at the time by one distraught visitor as ”swimming with water”.
Now, the latest case has caused yet more heartbreak and provoked a determined response from Lochee councillor Tom Ferguson.
He vowed there would be no repeat of the upsetting scenes after a number of his constituents complained to him about what had happened.
”I will be asking for an in-depth report from the engineering department,” he continued. ”There will be no repetition. I can’t allow families to go through this again.”
Dundee City Council has apologised for any distress caused.
A spokesman for the local authority said: ”We are aware of the problem of flooding at the lower and flatter parts of Birkhill Cemetery. Investigations are under way on how the problem can be alleviated.
”In the meantime, we are sorry for any distress caused and staff are cleaning the area.”