Police are probing claims of racist abuse directed at funeral bagpipers at a crematorium by an irate neighbour who objects to their music.
Pipe Major Steven Granger says he was abused by a man who lives close to Cardross Crematorium near Dumbarton as he prepared to lead a funeral procession.
The local council has confirmed it is working with police to probe further reports of antisocial behaviour after other pipers reported being harassed there.
Steven told the Record he was asked “Can you not speak proper English?” when he was approached and filmed shortly before mourners arrived on Thursday.
Steven, 61, said: “I was requested by the family to pipe from the gates up to the crematorium, which is a normal thing at a funeral.
“A guy came out the house with a camera. I presumed he wanted a picture and called out ‘good morning’ to him.
“He asked if I was piping from the gates and when I told him I was he said, ‘I can’t understand a word you’re saying to me. Can you not speak proper English?’
“He spoke in a broad English accent.”
Steven, from Dumbarton, claims the neighbour ordered him to move away from his property, saying he could not pipe there.
He said: “The man asked me, ‘How would you like it if I got a brass band to your door?’ I said, ‘I’d love it and go out and join them.’
“He said, ‘I don’t love your music and I don’t love your bagpipes.’
“He then went up to his top room and filmed me from his window.”
Steven, who lived and worked for many years in Germany and piped at war graves for the British Consulate, said a funeral director later asked him for his details and told him that other pipers had suffered verbal abuse.
He later received a call from an antisocial behaviour officer at Argyll and Bute Council, which runs the crematorium, and reported the incident to the police.
Steven said: “The funeral director told me some of the previous comments made had been really bad and on one occasion the neighbour came out and was blowing a whistle as the piper was piping a family up to the crematorium.
“It’s out of order. I don’t think pipers should be getting that type of abuse, especially at funerals.
“To have someone harassing you when you’re trying to do your job, it does affect you.”
Argyll and Bute Council said other claims were also being looked into.
A spokeswoman said: “We can confirm we are investigating reports of anti-social behaviour and are liaising with the police on this.”
The police said: “We received a report about comments made to a man in the area of premises off Cardross Road near Dumbarton. Inquiries into the incident are ongoing.”
