DISMAYED volunteers who look after Neilston's war memorial have said a Remembrance Day wreath in Kingston Park has been desecrated.

A message from the poppy wreath, which paid tribute to the 27 American sailors who sacrificed themselves to help save 19 Norwegian civilians bound for Neilston in 1945, was taken from its plastic cover, ripped into pieces and thrown to the ground.

Images shared on social media yesterday by the Neilston War Memorial Association (NWMA) showed that sections on the wreath had also been stripped off.

Matt Drennan, secretary of the NWMA, said he was "disappointed" about the act of vandalism.

He told Barrhead News: "We believe that it took place between 3pm and 7pm on Monday.

"The person who did this is obviously uneducated, as this is a wee memorial for people who have sacrificed their lives to save children.

"It is very silly and you just can't under the mentality of someone who would do this.

"We've kept the bits of paper that have been ripped up and placed them back into the plastic holder, and we will be passing it on to the police as evidence."

Call officers on 101 if you can help with their investigation.