“We have to remind visitors to our cemeteries that you cannot leave cans or bottles of alcoholic drinks on gravestones.”
Alcohol next to a grave. (Image: Angus Council )
Scots grieving for their loved ones have been warned not to leave alcohol next to graves due to underage drinkers taking the booze and drinking it.
Angus Council put out a warning after reports of several incidents involving children removing bottles of boozes and drinking the contents on the weekend when there are no staff around.
The council put a post on Facebook including a photo of a grave with a bottle of Budweiser and vodka on it. It is tradition in Scotland to leave a tipple next to the resting place of a loved one on special occasions when they can’t be here to enjoy it.
A social media post from Angus Council reads: “We all like to remember and pay tribute to our loved ones who have passed, in different ways. “However, we have to remind visitors to our cemeteries that you cannot leave cans or bottles of alcoholic drinks on gravestones. In the past few weeks we have had incidents where children have removed the bottles and have drunk the contents. “Our staff will regularly remove alcoholic drinks and store them for collection again, however we have no staff working over a weekend, when these incidents occurred. “Please remember your loved ones and visit their graves by all means, but please do not leave alcoholic drinks where youngsters can get access to them.”
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Locals expressed mixed reactions regarding the advice. Sheila Faichney said: “It’s better to give the price of the alcohol to a favourite charity on behalf of a loved one than risk causing harm to others.”
Iain Fisher said: “If the children were better taught then they wouldn’t take the bottles.”
Amy Johnston added: “You should be able to leave what we like without disrespectful little children stealing from graves.”
While Fiona Walker said: “Instead of leaving bottles. Why not open and pour onto grave? That is what I do with a miniature because cats or foxes could knock over and smash the bottles too.”