Family call for action after robbers target theirMother’s grave

A WOKINGHAM family say they are distraught as their Mother’s grave has been targeted by thieves for the past four years.

Lesley North said that grave robbers have been repeatedly stealing floral displays next to her Mother’s headstone at All Saints Church since 2016.

She explained that her sister, Gillian Clark visited the churchyard on Thursday, May 14, to discover that the most recent pots of violets had been taken.

Ms North said: “I am absolutely seething. Once again some lowlife has stolen my Mother's flowers from her grave.

“My Mother died four years ago, and on her birthday, Christmas and Easter the family would put lovely flower displays in tubs or troughs on her grave.

“However within days of us leaving the flowers there, they would be stolen. The thieves don’t take cut flowers, just the displays, large or small.

“I can't believe any decent person would steal from a churchyard. They are literally grave robbers. As far as I’m concerned, they are the scum of the Earth and don’t deserve to be called human.”

Ms North explained that last year, she visited the church’s parish office, The Cornerstone, to complain about the thefts.

“They told me nobody had raised it as an issue before,” she said. “But the bedding plants in their borders had also been stolen.

“I think it must happen to a lot of graves, I’ve seen lots of them now have artificial flowers instead of displays, and those don’t get taken.

It must have been going on for a while, I’m sure we’re not the only ones.

“It’s so frustrating that we can’t give our Mother flowers on her birthday.”

Ms North explained that her sister is now going to warn other people about the thefts.

She said: “She is going to make a sign and pin it on the churchyard gate, warning other families as to what's going on, and to be on the lookout for these morons that desecrate our loved ones’ graves.”

The Revd Canon David Hodgson, at All Saints Church, said: “We are very sorry to hear that flowers had been stolen from a grave in our churchyard.

“This is very upsetting for the family members. We urge anyone affected to report these incidents through our website or email to us as soon as they occur.

“The churchyard is open to the public every day, with public footpaths through it.”

But Ms North is calling for something more to be done.

She added: “If the odd display had vanished, it could have been the occasional person strolling through the graveyard and spotting something that took their fancy.

“Every single display we have ever placed has been stolen.

“Something has to happen to stop this after four years.”