AN INVESTIGATION has been launched after dozens of memorial benches were "regrettably" burned by council workers.

Photographs have emerged showing piles of the wooden tributes set alight in Edinburgh.

City of Edinburgh Council has now said an investigation has been launched to determine why their normal policy had not been followed for around 70 benches which were deemed to be broken and in need of repair.

Prior to 2010, the authority's policy was maintaining memorial benches in perpetuity but called an end the practice, due to cost.

In 2018 the council opted to introduce a 20-year maintenance warranty instead.

Usual procedure is that if a bench is damaged beyond repair, pieces are recycled where possible and owners are informed. The plaques are supposed to be removed and stored until they can be returned to the donor.

According to reports in the Edinburgh Evening News, these damaged benches were removed from West Princes Street Gardens in the city centre, and were burned after being held in storage for more than a year.

Among those benches destroyed were those dedicated to holders of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award given for valour to members of the British Armed Forces.

A whistleblower said that staff were ordered to burn the benches - after the memorial plaques had been removed - rather than restoring them in a bid to save money.

A council employee is also reported to have said that staff were told to tell those who asked about the benches that they had "no interest" in speaking to them.

Following the revelation, a council spokeswoman confirmed a probe had been launched and that "appropriate action will be taken".

She said: “We have a very clear policy in place to decommission benches respectfully when they reach the end of their life.

"This involves storing the benches and plaques and reaching out to donors to discuss future arrangements and this was correctly followed.

"Standard practice is to recycle the parts of the benches which can be reused and very regrettably this part of the process was not followed.

"An investigation is under way to understand why this has happened and appropriate action will be taken."

Wooden benches cost families £3,925, while a metal bench costs £1,965. Both come with a 20-year warranty.

Figures in a council report claimed that repairing the benches would have cost the authority more than £33,000.

Decommissioned benches are usually disposed of by being broken up by workshop staff with the council adding that it was regrettable that this process had not been followed.