Orkney Islands Council has apologised after toppling 'unsafe' gravestones without consulting relatives.

Many families have complained that graveyards have been left looking like scenes of devastation.

The local authority said it realised it had distressed relatives of those buried at St Peter's graveyard.

Inspections were ordered at graveyards across Scotland following the death of eight-year-old Ciaran Williamson after he was hit by a falling headstone in Glasgow in May 2015.

Steven Sinclair said he had been left furious after discovering his grandparents' headstones had been toppled.

He said: "We first heard about this a fortnight ago so we came down right away and came in and realised then that the grandfolks were down along with 30 other headstones.

"We couldn't believe it, it was a scene of devastation. The disrespect shown and the lack of consultation was just unbelievable."

The council said it would help with financing to repair the headstones and would consult with families.

Harvey Johnston, convener of Orkney Islands Council, said: "All I can do is apologise profusely to that community.

"We have embarked on a programme of making the graveyards safe and that programme has not left them in a state that we would like to see them.

"I've been at them myself, I've seen the state that they graveyards are in and it's not acceptable."