Slab commemorating Andrew Mountbatten Windsor visit disappears from Alloa days after removal approved

A slab commemorating a visit to Alloa by Andrew Mountbatten Windsor has disappeared from view just a week after councillors approved a decision to remove it.

Clackmannanshire councillors agreed to get rid of the paving stone at a meeting last Thursday.

A week on, the slab has been replaced – or turned over – while plans progress for a fitting tribute to the late Alloa politician Sir George Reid on the pathway.

The commemorative paving stone was originally put in place to mark the occasion of the former Duke of York opening Parliament Way in November 2002.

Council leader Ellen Forson had put forward the motion for its removal after being contacted by several constituents.

She said: “For me it is a straightforward issue about who and why we choose to recognise in our shared civic spaces.

“I believe it is appropriate that the existing reference to the former prince Andrew is removed.

“I am aware of various comments about this issue. One made sense of why do we not just turn the slab over – that could be a short-term solution.”

A proposed design and wording for a different tribute on the walkway to recognise Sir George Reid is being drawn up and will be brought back to Clackmannanshire Council at a future date.