REPAIRS to a cemetery used as playground by hooligans must be a priority, an MSP has urged.

Lambhill cemetery was plagued by craters and pot holes, with yobs on motorbikes riding brazenly over graves earlier this year.

Since the Evening Times highlighted the issue Glasgow City Council's repair teams have carried out work on site and vowed to increase safety patrols.

Police confirmed they received reports of youths riding motorbikes in the area but when they went to inspect they were unable to find the culprits.

However Bob Doris, SNP MSP for Maryhill, has urged the local authority to make repairs to the area "an ongoing priority" and has contacted them voicing his concerns.

Read more: Residents left furious as council bosses fail to repair dangerous cemetery craters

He has also called for police reassurances on tackling antisocial behaviour in the area but is yet to receive a response from local teams.

The MSP said: "I am pleased that following my representations the council has completed some patching repairs to the paths in the graveyard and are reviewing the boundary fence in order to prevent quad bikes entering the graveyard in the first place.

"However repair and maintenance of the pathways and fence needs to be an ongoing priority.

"The police also need to ensure they use any information provided to tackle both nuisance and anti social behaviour in the graveyard.

"I would welcome some reassurances around that."

The calls come after a pensioner was left distraught earlier this year when she discovered the final resting place for her husband had vanished.

Rena Mackay was planning to scatter her husband ashes near the site of both their parent's graves in Lambhill, but when coordinators visited the site they found one gravestone missing and another destroyed.

Read more: Residents left furious as council bosses fail to repair dangerous cemetery craters

Locals previously complained about the state of the cemetery and the safety of the site when a burnt out van was found yards from where people's loved ones were laid to rest.

A council spokeswoman said: "A significant amount of maintenance work has been done throughout the cemetery this year including improvements to the drainage, flooding, roads and paths and we continue, as a matter of course, to prioritise repair work within our 32 cemeteries, accordingly.”

Inspector Janie Thomson-Goldie, of Maryhill police, said: “It is extremely disappointing that young people continue to race trail bikes in an area that is so important and sacred to so many people.

"Not only is this a danger to themselves but also to others who are visiting the area. Although we have received no reports, these actions also risk damage to the gravestones in the area. This behaviour is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated by the police.

Read more: Residents left furious as council bosses fail to repair dangerous cemetery craters

"The Cemetery is a priority area for local officers to patrol. We have also received additional support from specialist units, including officers from the Divisional Violence Reduction Unit. "There officers have been utilising trail bikes to quickly respond to reports of anti-social behaviour. We will continue to closely monitor the area.

"It is imperative that the public come forward and help us stop this dangerous behaviour.

"I would urge anyone who has information or would like to discuss their concerns to contact officers based at Maryhill."