Police are hunting thugs who caused thousands of pounds worth of damage in Inverness’s main cemetery.

The vandals have damaged dozens of graves at Tomnahurich in the worst known case of vandalism there.

They have broken headstones and set fire to artificial flowers at many of the gravesides.

Military memorials are among the stoneworks that were left shattered.

It emerged yesterday that the vandals appeared to have struck over the past fortnight, leaving chaos in their wake over a wide area of the vast 19th century Tomnahurich Cemetery.

Almost 40 gravestones were damaged. Council officials are awaiting the full details but expect the repairs to cost “several thousand pounds.”

The attack has sickened civic leaders and military representatives. Police have stepped up patrols in that area of the city.

An Inverness nurse, Rachael Mackenzie, has taken to a social network to air her sadness that her grandparents’ headstone was set alight at the cemetery a couple weeks ago.

“It left such a mess,” she said.

Many of the damaged tombstones were positioned at the highest point in the expansive cemetery.

Highland Council deputy leader Alasdair Rhind, who is also a funeral director, was appalled.

He said: “What we’re talking about here is mindless vandalism. It’s sad from the point of view of destruction to the cemetery but also upsetting for relatives affected who see that damage done to family graves.

“I don’t know what pleasure people can get from inflicting such malicious damage.”

He said youngsters needed to be “educated” by parents and schools that cemeteries are not playgrounds.

“They’re a place of sacredness, quietness, peace, tranquility and where people can go and reflect on loved ones who’ve passed on,” he added.

Echoing that, local SNP councillor Allan Duffy, a former soldier, described the attack as “absolutely disgusting.”

He suggested “drunken yobs” were probably involved and urged anyone with information about the incident to contact the police.

He was seeking urgent talks with council officials to try to establish who would foot the bill, hoping it would not burden affected families.

The council’s Inverness city manager David Haas conceded that it was difficult to police such an issue.

“Significant damage was done. I’m awaiting a detailed report. We’ll do our best to return the cemetery to its respectful state,” he said. “We’re very sad to see such disrespect being shown to a very special place in the community.

“We do our best to make all these public places as secure as possible for people to visit and to contemplate the loss of loved ones. We cannot prevent all access by those determined to do wrong but we work with our partners to address damage when it’s done and do what we can, through the police, to detect those responsible and bring them to justice.”

Police have urged anyone with information about the vandalism to call them on 101 or through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.