Heartless Thieves Target Graveyard

Someone's been stealing flowers from a graveyard on the Isle of Wight, leaving relatives distraught.

It's been happening in Yarmouth over the weekend. The West Wight Safer Neighbourhoods team is making enquiries into separate reports from two women who had placed floral tributes to relatives.

A woman aged in her 80s put a cyclamen in a pot on her mother’s grave at a cemetery off Tennyson Road last weekend (Sunday, October 31). It was reported stolen on Saturday, November 6, 2010.

A woman aged in her 50s reported flowers stolen from the same graveyard where her late husband rests. The theft is alleged to have taken place sometime between Monday, November 1 and Saturday, November 6, 2010.

Sergeant Mark Lyth of the West Wight Safer Neighbourhoods team said:

 “The disappearance of floral tributes from family graves is clearly upsetting for these women. Thefts from graveyards are among the lowest forms of offending. Police are treating these allegations with the utmost seriousness and sensitivity. We’ve carried out enquiries in the local community, and would like to appeal through the media to anyone who may have information about where these floral tributes went. Police want to identify possible suspects as soon as possible, and ease the distress of these victims.”

Please contact the West Wight Safer Neighbourhoods team by phoning Yarmouth Police Station on 101 or emailing westwight.snt@hampshire.pnn.police.uk

Mini-Com users can call 01962 875000. From outside Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, please phone the police on 0845 045 45 45. Information can be given anonymously by phoning the independent Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.