Hugh Rodham: Hillary Clinton's father's gravestone overturned in 'act of vandalism'

Tombstone was overturned a day after Mrs Clinton declared she was running for the White House

Behind every great woman: the Clintons – Chelsea, Bill and Hillary – at a rally in New York (KEITH BEDFORD/Reuters)

Police in Pennsylvania have launched an investigation following reports that the headstone of Hillary Clinton’s father has been knocked over in an apparent act of vandalism.

The Scranton Times-Tribune newspaper said police were alerted by people at the Washburn Street cemetery in Scranton, a day after Mrs Clinton announced she was making a second run for the White House.

The caller told police that the grave of Mrs Clinton’s father, Hugh Rodham, had been overturned, Scranton’s police chief, Carl Graziano, told the newspaper.

Mrs Clinton's father, Hugh Rodham, died in 1993

“I’m not sure how else it would have fallen over,” he said, when asked whether or not he believed it had been act of vandalism.

Mr Rodham died in 1993 following a stroke, in Little Rock, Arkansas, months after President Bill Clinton’s inauguration. He was buried at the cemetery in his birthplace of Scranton.

Cemetery caretaker Paul McGloin said the tombstone was later set right.

“I hope this had nothing to do with politics because that’s just wrong,” said Mr McGloin.