Shock at Leeds cemetery vandalism

Gas engineer Dinzie Archibald, from Cranmer Gardens in Moortown, said around a quarter of the graves had been damaged, including chipped and overturned headstones and ruined plot boundaries.

He said: “I was lost for words. I think it was done deliberately and it just does not compute – we all have family, we all know someone who has passed on and looking at the state of it you just think, ‘why?’

“There were quite a few servicemen’s grave vandalised. I’m not a serviceman myself but I respect what they have done and it’s not right - it’s thanks to them we can live the way we do.”

Mr Archibald, 50, did not suggest that servicemen’s graves had been specifically targeted. A Leeds City Council spokeswoman said: “Harehills Cemetery now has CCTV and is monitored to ensure the site remains free from vandalism.

“We have not had any recent complaints about the site but we do ask anyone with any complaints to get in touch with us directly and we are more than happy to meet on site to discuss any issues and hopefully rectify these.

“There are a number of headstones laid down at the site, however, these are the responsibility of the grave owner, not Leeds City Council, so sadly we are unable to do anything with these.”