Locals furious after Union Jack flag burned at century-old village war memorial

The cenotaph, which stands between two flag poles - with the Scottish and Union flags - was vandalised just a day before the Trooping the Colour celebration.

The memorial celebrated its centenary earlier this month on Main Street and carries the names of 29 fallen soldiers who were killed in both World Wars.

Allan Weir, 60, who caretakes the memorial, described the incident as "heartbreaking".

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 60-year-old volunteer said the incident had been reported to Police Scotland.

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A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “On Saturday, 15 June, police received a report of a vandalism at the Cenotaph in Main Street, Shieldhill.

"The incident occurred on Friday, June 15, 2024 and enquiries are ongoing.”

This isn't the first time the memorial has been vandalised, after two incidents last year.

On May 7, 2023 - the day after the King's coronation - both the flags either side of the cenotaph were ripped from their poles.

Just two months prior, the named of the soldiers were spray-painted over, in another shocking act of vandalism.

Weir told the Falkirk Herald at the time that he was "disgusted".

He said: “It doesn’t matter what your beliefs are, this is a war memorial to commemorate the people who lost their lives for us all.”

Regarding the March 2023 vandalism, Provost Robert Bissett said: "It is appalling. These men gave their lives and fought for our freedom.

"This should be almost like hallowed ground – you just don’t do that.”