Heartless thieves steal 70 plaques from graves
Heartless thieves have stolen 70 plaques from graves at a Northamptonshire crematorium.
Burglars cut through fencing at the Counties Crematorium in Milton Malsor before chiselling the bronze plaques from their mountings.
Police were called to the scene on Friday after the bronze plaques disappeared during the previous night.
When they discovered the thefts, employees at the Towcester Road cemetery were forced to call stunned relatives to inform them.
The company has now promised to replace the memorials as quickly as possible.
A spokeswoman for the crematorium said: "Around 70 bronze memorial plaques were stolen from our crematorium grounds on Thursday night. We are working as quickly as possible to identify which plaques are missing and contact the families concerned.
"Our staff are completely appalled by this theft and the police have been informed. We are sorry for any distress caused by the theft of these plaques and will be replacing every plaque at no cost to the families."
Northamptonshire Police confirmed that all the plaques had been taken from adult graves and a memorial wall between 5pm on Thursday and 8am on Friday.
Officers believe a gang of people were involved, with a vehicle used to transport the plaques.
A spokeswoman for Northamptonshire Police said: "This is a despicable thing to do and shows no respect for either the people who have died or the people grieving for them."
Anyone with information can contact police on 08453 700700 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.
Have you been affected by the theft? Click here to contact Nicola Shaw.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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