Families deny council permission to dig up flooded graves in Ayr

The family of a man whose grave is submerged in water say they will not give South Ayrshire Council permission to exhume his body.

Caroline Sutherland and Natalie Campbell buried their dad, Norrie, at a new section of Ayr Cemetery in 2018.

Earlier this year 126 families were told that graves of their loved ones had flooded due to drainage issues.

The council said all bodies would need to be exhumed for repair work. At least 20 families have not given permission.

The bodies would be stored at a facility at Prestwick Airport while the graves are drained.

They would then be placed in new coffins and reburied in their original plots.

Caroline told BBC Scotland: "We feel totally let down and we have no faith or confidence in anything that is happening.

"There's just no emotion, there was no care given. It's just been a case of, let's get this job done.

"We buried our dad over four years ago and it's starting the grieving process again."

The sisters said they have struggled to contact South Ayrshire Council and have "no trust" in the work due to take place.

They have refused to sign the council's permission document for Norrie's body to be exhumed.

Natalie said: "We've not had any official correspondence from South Ayrshire Council. It would be helpful if they would give us some reassurance.

"When we do contact them we're given the same generic response that everyone is getting."

"You hope after four years you'll be in a position where you're at peace that your dad is at peace, but it's just opened up old wounds, it's been completely raw."

Norrie Kennedy had requested to be buried at Ayr Cemetery, just streets away from the home where the girls grew up.

Natalie added: "Although he said he wanted to be buried here, we chose the plot, and this has happened.

"He was a well loved man and he does not deserve this."

In May, South Ayrshire Council leader Martin Dowey told BBC Scotland's The Nine that he would make the families' wishes his priority and full compensation would be paid for reburials.

The council said it would take a "number of months" for restoration work to be completed.

A spokesperson said: "We understand that this is an extremely distressing time for families and we are doing everything we can to support them.

"Families have been offered free specialist support from a bereavement charity and have had the opportunity to meet with the specialist contractor, Peter Mitchell, and council leader Martin Dowey.

"Councillor Dowey regularly writes to families to provide them with updates on the situation and will be contacting families in the near future with details of the testing and works to ensure there are no further water problems."

The council said investigations were also needed at Troon cemetery, where 49 graves are suspected to be flooded.

It said this would not begin until repairs at Ayr were complete.