Essex: 117 missing Colchester Cemeterygrave ornaments found
10:00am Monday 5th September 2011
More than 100 ornaments, believed to have been stolen from graves at Colchester Cemetery, have been recovered by police.
Officers are now trying to find the owners of 117 items, discovered after arrests in the town.
Two 13-year-old girls have been arrested on suspicion of theft and released on police bail until October while officers continue their investigations.
Grieving families have long complained of thefts from graves at the cemetery in Mersea Road, with ten cases reported over the bank holiday weekend alone.
Laura Ward, 22, of Delamere Road, Colchester, called the Gazette after discovering items missing from her parents’ grave.
Thieves took heart-shaped crystals and a globe from the grave of her mother, Wendy, who died two years ago, and that of her father, Carl, who was buried there 18 months ago.
Miss Ward was delighted to hear missing items had been recovered.
She said: “How brilliant. It was disgusting for them to be taken in the first place and for someone to have taken 117 of them is horrible.
“It is unbelievable. Whoever did it must have been busy.
“I’m going to ring the police straight away to arrange to go down and see if any of mine are among those recovered.”
Police are keen to hear from anyone who believes an item has been taken to get in touch. They are asked to contact PC Stuart Jones or PC Julie Everall at Colchester police station by dialling 101.