April 25, 2017 3.39 pm This story is over 83 months old

‘Totally unacceptable’: Vandals steal ornate wicker deer from Grimsby cemetery

Cemetery bosses are calling for people to show more respect within Grimsby burial grounds after vandals stole three wicker deer. Three large ornate wicker deer installed as the centrepiece of the peaceful woodland burial ground at the Scartho Road cemetery have been stolen, highlighted on the afternoon of April 24 by a distraught member of the public.…
A member of public spotted the deers were missing on April 24

Cemetery bosses are calling for people to show more respect within Grimsby burial grounds after vandals stole three wicker deer.

Three large ornate wicker deer installed as the centrepiece of the peaceful woodland burial ground at the Scartho Road cemetery have been stolen, highlighted on the afternoon of April 24 by a distraught member of the public.

The deer were installed just prior to the opening of the Woodlands burial area in late 2014.

This latest act of vandalism follows a recent spate of anti-social behaviour within the grounds, which has included dog walkers allowing their pets to defecate on graves and not picking up after them, as well as groups of people drinking in the grounds, leaving litter and empty cans strewn across the grass.

Lisa Logan, bereavement service manager at North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “This behaviour is totally unacceptable and shows a complete lack of respect for families and friends who visit the cemeteries for peace and reflection of their loved ones who have died.

“The cemeteries and grounds of the crematorium should be a tranquil place to allow families to grieve and remember their loved ones.

“They should not be faced with the results of anti-social behaviour, or be intimidated by other visitors who are using the grounds as an open area for their dogs to run free without control and as a shortcut from Scartho Road to Weelsby Avenue.”