Anger after union flag burned at village war memorial

Volunteers founds the union flag had been burned at the memorial

War memorial volunteers in Falkirk are furious after a union flag was burned at their century-old village cenotaph.

Residents of Shieldhill discovered the vandalism on Saturday morning.

The memorial has a granite monument, two flag poles with the Scottish saltire and union flag, flower baskets and photographs of fallen soldiers.

Volunteer Allan Weir said the incident was "heartbreaking" after the village marked 100 years since the cenotaph's installation earlier this month.

He said: "There are a few of us in the village that look after our cenotaph.

"We change the flags regularly and plant flowers and we take great pride in looking after it."

The monument is formally known as the Easter and Wester Shieldhill and Summerhouse War Memorial.

It carries the names of 20 fallen soldiers from World War One and nine more from World War Two.

Mr Weir said the vandalism had been reported to police.