THE body of a man stabbed to death in a street brawl had to be exhumed after it emerged officials forgot to put his brain back in after a post-mortem examination.

Alexander McLennan was stabbed to death during a fight in Dundee's Kingsway East in January this year.

But his family reacted furiously when they learned he had been buried without his brain.

They were told in a letter from the procurator-fiscal's office two months ago that his brain was in a laboratory in Glasgow and were asked what they wanted done with it.

Mr McLennan's body was dug up yesterday. His brain will be put back and he will be reburied today.

His brother, William, said: "They sent us a letter and asked if the brain should be given to the medical profession or put in the incinerator.

"We thought when he got buried that was closure. I'm raging. We have got to go through all this again tomorrow."

Yesterday, council staff could be seen working in Dundee's Barrhill Cemetery near where the exhumation took place. Witnesses said screens had been erected around the area.

A spokeswoman for Tayside Police said the force was aware of the incident.

Three men were jailed for a total of 14 years earlier this year over Mr McLennan's death.

John Cassidy, 31, who admitted culpable homicide, was given seven years for his part in the brawl in which the 55-year-old was fatally stabbed.

Ross Ramsay, 30, and Steven Batchelor, 31, admitted seriously assaulting Mr McLennan. Ramsay was sentenced to 45 months and Batchelor was jailed for 40 months at the High Court in Edinburgh.

The court heard the men had met days before the killing to try to solve their differences, but the meeting ended in blows.

Mr Fairley described how trouble began on the afternoon of Saturday, January 7, when a niece of Mr McLennan began shouting and swearing at Batchelor about previous incidents.

Later Batchelor met Ramsay and Cassidy at Ramsay's home before heading to nearby Kingsway East, where a fight involving Mr McLennan took place.

The prosecutor said at some stage a knife appeared and the Crown could not refute Cassidy's claim it was Mr McLennan who produced the weapon.

A Crown Office spokesman said they had apologised to the family for the blunder. He added: "It would unfortunately appear that the normal procedures were not followed and the family was not advised of the retention of the organ. This is deeply regrettable and steps were taken to meet with the deceased's family to apologise for the error and to discuss the return of the organ in accordance with the wishes of the family.

"Procedures have been reviewed in order to ensure that this situation does not arise again."