THE ‘shameful’ neglect of a cairn built to remember those from Port Glasgow killed in the Blitz has been exposed by outraged residents.

An angry army veteran who lives nearby and his Argyll comrades are calling for action to restore the memorial spot.

The plaque, which commemorates the 74 people who died in one night, including those who died in the nearby Woodhall air-raid shelter, has also vanished.

Plant plots have been abandoned, the underfoot area is overgrown, the path to the cairn is badly damaged and the panoramic views are now hidden behind trees that desperately need cut back.

It’s a far cry from when the Lottery-funded project was the unveiled at a special remembrance service. Walter Cook, a local Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders veteran, who lives in School Road, said: “It is so badly neglected; something needs to be done about it. 

“This is a cairn in memory of people from this area who died. 

“People in Port Glasgow are angry and think it is a disgrace.

“It should be somewhere that people can come up for a peaceful walk up and visit.”

Fellow Argyll veterans Jim Boyland and Chris Folan are also desperate to highlight the plight of cairn and its surroundings.

Jim added: “We look after our own. I grew up in Port Glasgow and we want something done about this.

“I think the cairn needs to be moved somewhere, like the cemetery, so it can be given the respect it deserves.”

Local councillor Jim MacLeod is also disgusted by the state of the memorial and is also demanding action is taken to reverse the decline.

He said: “This was a memorial that was very close to my own dad’s heart and I campaigned for this. 

“We need to do something quickly.”

The plaque of remembrance was unveiled on the cairn two  years ago in memory of those who perished in one night, including 30 in an air-raid shelter in Woodhall Terrace that was hit by a bomb in May 1941.

The work was carried out as part of housing association River Clyde Homes’ (RCH) Working In Neighbourhoods initiative in partnership with the local community and the Big Lottery.

The local Association of Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders hold a remembrance service at the cairn every year.