HEAVY rain sparked complaints from families of people buried in Tranent Cemetery after several graves sank under the deluge.

Distressed relatives reported visiting graves on the weekend of June 10-11 to discover they had suffered subsidence, with some claiming the ground level had dropped by as much as two feet.

East Lothian Council said it was aware of the problems, which had been caused by torrential rain falling after a dry spell. It said staff were working to fix the issue after they received calls highlighting the problem at a number of cemeteries across the county.

Ray Montgomery, the council’s head of infrastructure, said: “Graves go through a period of natural settlement following a burial. This normally lasts for a period of four to six weeks, after which our staff revisit the grave and rectify any settlement which has occurred. It has been noted that as a result of the prolonged dry spell and recent heavy rain, settlement has occurred on a number of graves in various cemeteries.

“It may take some time to rectify them all but we will do this as soon as possible. East Lothian Council is aware of how distressing settled graves can be to grieving families and we will always respond as a priority to requests from family members.”

The Met Office reported that a month’s worth of rain fell in Scotland in just one day as June began with heavy downpours, following on from one of the driest Mays on record.

Reports of problems at Tranent Cemetery surfaced as families visited graves, with many taking to social media to voice their concerns.

One woman said: “My parents’ grave has sunk: it was a shock and really upsetting.”