Heartless thieves target grave in Clenchwarton again

Thieves have twice targeted a baby’s grave in Clenchwarton, after a second ornament was stolen from it last week.

Lisa Wells, of West Lynn, had bought a new ornament for her daughter Shelby White’s grave at St Margaret’s Church, after a previous figurine – a stone child angel – was taken last month.

Mrs Wells said it had taken her a while to put a new figure on the grave, but after a few weeks she found an ornament made of concrete which she liked, of a girl lying on her front reading a book, and it was then fixed to the grave.

She visited Shelby’s grave the week before last to check it, but when she visited on Thursday to lay some fresh flowers, she discovered the new ornament had been taken.

“I was heartbroken, because it’s been twice now,” she said.

“I can’t believe it, it’s so bad.”

Other graves in the cemetery also have ornaments on them, but none of those seem to have been targeted, Mrs Wells added.

“I just don’t understand why someone would do this. I had just come to terms with what happened and now it’s happened again.

“It’s unbelievable that it’s now twice.”

Speaking to the Lynn News last month, Mrs Wells said she believed whoever had taken the angel ornament had used considerable force to pull it off of the headstone.

Shelby, who has been buried in the graveyard for 26 years, had spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a genetic disease affecting the part of the nervous system that controls voluntary muscle movement, and died aged 13 months.

Mrs Wells has reported the incidents to police, as well as parish council officials, in the hope that CCTV might be installed.

If you have any information regarding the thefts, contact Norfolk Police on 101.