pmt
11-03-10, 09:52 PM
http://www.thisisnorthdevon.co.uk/news/Families-fury-attacks-children-s-graves/article-1900242-detail/article.html
Thursday, March 11, 2010, 07:00
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VANDALS and thieves have caused heartbreak to Holsworthy families after targeting the town's cemetery.
A decorative light in the shape of a snail has been stolen from the grave of three-year-old Kai Johns, who died in November after fighting heart disease.
The graves of brothers Nathan and Anthony Orchard who died aged 19 and 17 respectively in a car crash in December, 2001, have also been vandalised — for the second time.
Kai's mum Donna visits her son's grave every week.
She said: "Kai's grave is very important to me and my family, at the moment. This is so upsetting.
"I put the snail there so it wasn't dark at night and I just want it returned.
"I want whoever did it to think about what they have done to a three-year-old boy and his family."
The Orchard brothers' pictures have been prised off and stolen from their gravestones and the glue smeared over Anthony's name on the headstones.
The boys graves were vandalised in a similar manner in September 2007 and their mum, Jean, is struggling to understand why anybody would do it.
The teenagers were much loved in the community.
More than 4,000 turned out to their funeral and it took three lorries to carry all the flowers sent for the boys.
Jean visits her son's graves at Holsworthy cemetery at Stanbury Cross on birthdays and anniversaries.
It will cost the Orchard family £200 to replace the pictures.
She said: "It is nice to go there and talk to the boys and it is a lovely mark to them — nobody in their right minds would do this.
"Everyone is angry and devastated that this has happened. Not only is it upsetting, but it brings the boys' deaths to the front of your mind again.
"It is a horrible thing to do and we just plead with whoever is responsible to just leave their graves alone."
Holsworthy PC Amanda Brown said: "These are very disturbing incidents, which have caused more unnecessary distress for the families.
"The items stolen have great sentimental value and if they were handed in anonymously it would be appreciated by the families."
The graves were vandalised sometime between 3pm on Friday February 26 and Wednesday March 3.
Thursday, March 11, 2010, 07:00
5 readers have commented on this story.
Click here to read their views. (http://www.thisisnorthdevon.co.uk/news/Families-fury-attacks-children-s-graves/article-1900242-detail/article.html#StartComments)
VANDALS and thieves have caused heartbreak to Holsworthy families after targeting the town's cemetery.
A decorative light in the shape of a snail has been stolen from the grave of three-year-old Kai Johns, who died in November after fighting heart disease.
The graves of brothers Nathan and Anthony Orchard who died aged 19 and 17 respectively in a car crash in December, 2001, have also been vandalised — for the second time.
Kai's mum Donna visits her son's grave every week.
She said: "Kai's grave is very important to me and my family, at the moment. This is so upsetting.
"I put the snail there so it wasn't dark at night and I just want it returned.
"I want whoever did it to think about what they have done to a three-year-old boy and his family."
The Orchard brothers' pictures have been prised off and stolen from their gravestones and the glue smeared over Anthony's name on the headstones.
The boys graves were vandalised in a similar manner in September 2007 and their mum, Jean, is struggling to understand why anybody would do it.
The teenagers were much loved in the community.
More than 4,000 turned out to their funeral and it took three lorries to carry all the flowers sent for the boys.
Jean visits her son's graves at Holsworthy cemetery at Stanbury Cross on birthdays and anniversaries.
It will cost the Orchard family £200 to replace the pictures.
She said: "It is nice to go there and talk to the boys and it is a lovely mark to them — nobody in their right minds would do this.
"Everyone is angry and devastated that this has happened. Not only is it upsetting, but it brings the boys' deaths to the front of your mind again.
"It is a horrible thing to do and we just plead with whoever is responsible to just leave their graves alone."
Holsworthy PC Amanda Brown said: "These are very disturbing incidents, which have caused more unnecessary distress for the families.
"The items stolen have great sentimental value and if they were handed in anonymously it would be appreciated by the families."
The graves were vandalised sometime between 3pm on Friday February 26 and Wednesday March 3.