ALMOST £3.4 million has been spent by South Ayrshire Council on repairing flooded graves in Ayr and Troon.

A total of 126 bodies at Ayr cemetery were exhumed after distressed families were told of the drainage issues in 2022.

They were taken to a facility near Prestwick Airport while the plots were repaired. The work was finally completed in December last year.

However, further drainage issues were then discovered at Troon cemetery. There, some 87 graves had been flooded, with 51 of those occupied.

Those bodies were later exhumed and repair works completed, and all deceased have now been returned to their burial sites.

At the time, some families were upset that the new coffins would be chosen by the council.

READ MORE: Council issues update on flooded graves at Ayr and Troon

A number of relatives had refused to give permission for exhumation and asked for full compensation for coffins of their choice.

Natalie Campbell, who buried her father Norrie Kennedy in 2018, told the BBC: “It’s been really terrible.

"We’ve tried to shield my kids from it but my son said to me the other night ‘does that mean my papa is drowning?’

“We were meticulous with all the details of my dad’s funeral. We were lucky enough that we were able to discuss it with my dad before he passed.

“It was done just perfectly. Now, we’re going to have to do it all again.”

The Advertiser reported in 2022 that families were given just five days to decide whether to exhume relatives – or leave them in place while the work went on.

READ MORE: SAC: ‘We’ll compensate the families hit by flooding in Ayr’s cemetery’

South Ayrshire Council has now confirmed that works on both sites are complete.

The local authority has previously said it had spent £284,000 on re-interments, floral displays and funeral directors.

Around £2.6m was spent on repairing plots at Ayr cemetery, with £750,000 spent on repairs at Troon.

A South Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: "At the outset, we made a commitment to the affected families that we would do everything possible to resolve any issues with the burial chambers at Ayr and Troon cemeteries.

"We also said to families that we would support them in any way that we could. By working with a number of specialists we have now concluded the works at Ayr and Troon cemeteries.

"We are still in contact with a number of families, and this will continue."