Staff left ‘heartbroken’ by fly-tipping at crematorium car park in East Renfrewshire

Staff at a crematorium in East Renfrewshire were left “heartbroken” on Friday morning after they found piles of rubbish at the site’s car park.

Planks of wood, wooden pallets and tarpaulin were among the waste dumped at The Hurlet, near Barrhead.

Manager Angela Johnstone told STV News her team was “incredibly saddened” by the fly-tipping and the lack of respect shown to grieving families.

She said: “Our grounds and memorial gardens are very special places, offering peace, comfort and somewhere for families to visit and remember their loved ones.

“Our team works incredibly hard to keep them looking beautiful, so to see such a lack of respect for our surroundings is really upsetting.”

Following the incident, the main gates at the crematorium will be locked when there no staff on site to prevent similar occurrences.

They will be opened between 11am and 3pm at weekends, with plans in place to install a pedestrian gate as soon as possible to allow flexible visiting for families.

Angela added: “We fully appreciate that many families like to visit our gardens outside of our normal working hours, and we are very sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

“This is not a decision we have taken lightly, but we have a responsibility to protect our beautiful grounds and the peaceful environment that means so much to so many people.

“Thank you, as always, for your understanding and support.”