A GRIEVING son has spoken of his horror after being told his father's grave had been attacked by vandals just hours after the funeral.

Dozens of graves at Great Malvern Cemetery were destroyed during the attack, with headstones smashed and floral tributes scattered. Beer bottles were also left smashed at the scene.

Kenneth Stallard was among the relatives at the cemetery on Friday, May 31. His father, Leonard, had only been laid to rest the previous day.

He arrived at the grave to find that all the floral tributes left for his father had been destroyed and strewn over a wide area.

"I just can't believe it, I'm totally drained," he said. "He was born and bred in Malvern and never did anything to anybody. For this to happen on the day he's buried is absolutely devastating. The whole family's going to be absolutely devastated."

John Nolan's wife, Mary, was buried in 2001. The vandals tore a handmade wooden cross marking her grave from the ground. The monument was made by his son to mark her resting-place and was set in concrete. Mr Nolan, an ex-prison officer, said he was shocked that someone would do such a thing.

"It was yobs. They should bring back capital punishment," he said,

The overnight attack was discovered early on Friday when Sarah Whyman, Malvern Town Council's temporary operations supervisor, turned up at the cemetery to start work.

Council workers spent the day clearing up the wreckage. The authority said it would cover the cost of the damage and town clerk Shirley Young vowed to work with the police to catch those responsible.

"It looks like they had a party and knocked over about 25 gravestones. If anybody knows anything about this, please come forward," she said.

Anyone with information can call police anonymously on 0800 555111 or on 01905 723888, reference c/591238.