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A “selfish individual” has helped themselves to a dozen plants from the grounds of the Old Kirk in Kirkcaldy.

They left behind a patch of barren ground in the graveyard, less than two weeks after a dozen flowering nasturtiums had been planted.

The discovery was made on Thursday afternoon by Rosemary Potter, who chairs Kirkcaldy Old Kirk Trust, as she showed visiting academics around the historic setting. She had cleared out a border in the graveyard and planted out a dozen flowering nasturtium plants there, watering them in again on Tuesday.

Rosemary said: “Is this the community spirit that pervades Kirkcaldy? - help yourself to others' efforts at their expense? In recent years the Old Kirk Trust has been a member of Keep Scotland Beautiful's ‘It's Your Neighbourhood’ scheme and has been awarded outstanding certificates of distinction for its efforts, judged on community involvement, environmental commitment and horticultural achievement. Will Kirkcaldy in 2023 be known as the place where community involvement means theft?”

The empty border in the Old Kirk where the plants were taken from (Pic: Submitted)

While the graveyard is the responsibility of Fife Council, for two decades the Old Kirk's heritage volunteers have bought, planted and maintained the flowerbeds to assist the short-staffed graveyard workers in their task. Local passers-by and visitors compliment us on the splash of colour.

Added Rosemary: “On Thursday afternoon I showed some 30 academics attending an international conference in St. Andrews University from different parts of the world up the Old Kirk tower. They admired the panoramic view over a green and pleasant townscape and out to sea.

As I showed the last of them out to catch their tour bus, a sight caught my eye - the sight of bare earth where my plants had been! Little depressions in the earth were all that was left, Some selfish individual had selected, dug up and removed for themselves what had been planted with care, time and effort by a volunteer for the enjoyment of the community and as a welcome to visitors.

“The outrage was compounded by the discovery that another half dozen ageratum plants together with pink begonias and dianthus had been stolen from the display previously planted, watered, fed and nurtured in the graveyard borders over last month. Is this the community spirit that pervades Kirkcaldy? - help yourself to others' efforts at their expense? “

‘Selfish individual’ helps themselves to plants from historic Kirkcaldy graveyard