Fury as Union flag set alight by vandals at Scottish war memorial

A village community in Scotland has been left furious after its war memorial was targeted by vandals.

The Union flag on the cenotaph in Shieldhill, south of Falkirk, was set alight, with the incident discovered on Saturday morning.

It comes just weeks after the 100th anniversary of the East and West Shieldhill and Summerhouse war memorial being unveiled.

East and West Shieldhill and Summerhouse war memorial was again targeted by vandals. Pic: Michael Gillen

Villager Allan Weir is one of those who regularly looks after the memorial and said he was “disgusted” by what had taken place.

The memorial has previously been targeted. On May 7 last year, the Union flag and the Royal Standard were ripped from the flagpole – the day after the coronation of King Charlies III.

Mr Weir said: “Some disgusting person has set fire to the Union flag. Personally I am disgusted.

"There are a few of us that take care of the cenotaph with looking after the flowers and regularly changing the flags. Falkirk Council has cleaned the cenotaph and we are trying to get funding to mono block it, but to awake to this was terrible.”

Mr Weir said the vandalism had been reported to Police Scotland.

The memorial, which cost £350 to construct a century ago, was unveiled by Captain Thomas Harvey of Polmont on May 31 and dedicated by Rev. Alexander P Bathgate of Shieldhill.

It is situated on the north side of the Slamannan to Reddingmuirhead Road on land that was gifted by Mr John McIsaac of Greenmount Farm.

The names of 20 men from the area who died on the First World War are inscribed on the memorial, along with nine from the Second World War.