Flower displays destroyed at Stonehaven on train crash anniversary

Flower displays at Stonehaven railway station have been destroyed on the first anniversary of the train derailment in the area that killed three people.

Police are investigating the act of vandalism, which happened in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Just hours later, stations around the country fell silent at 9.43am to mark the time when the derailment was first reported on August 12 last year.

Driver Brett McCullough, 45, conductor Donald Dinnie, 58, and passenger Christopher Stuchbury, 62, died when the 6.38am Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street train crashed into a landslide across the tracks at Carmont, near Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire, following heavy rain.

The vandalised flower beds are located on platform two at Stonehaven station and not the flowers laid to remember the victims of last year’s derailment.

It was captured on CCTV and has been reported to British Transport Police.

A spokesperson for the British Transport Police said: “Officers are investigating after it was reported a teenage girl had vandalised flower displays at Stonehaven station.

“The incident is believed to have taken place shortly after midnight this morning (12 August). Enquiries are ongoing.”

The flowers had been placed on the platform by Stonehaven Horizon Group, who said it was “so disappointing that this should happen at any time but especially not on the anniversary of the train disaster last year”.

A ScotRail spokesperson said: “This is a deplorable act of vandalism. Anti-social behaviour of this kind has no place on Scotland’s railway.

“The incident, which took place late on Wednesday evening, has been reported to British Transport Police and we will work with the authorities to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.”