A devastated mum is heartbroken after thieves stole a tender tribute from her daughter's grave.

Who could do this? Diane Hoare with a picture of Sarah-Jayne. Picture: ROB SAMBROOK 40739-1

Diane Hoare was taking flowers to mark the sixth anniversary of daughter Sarah-Jayne's death when she discovered a statue and vases had been snatched.

The statue of a teddy bear and its baby was specially made for the grieving Colchester family. Sarah-Jayne had been pregnant when she died in hospital of a heart attack, aged just 22.

Her distraught mother told the Gazette: "I can't believe people would steal from my daughter's grave. You read about these things but you never think it will happen to you."

She added: "I'm heartbroken - I was just starting to get over her death. I hope my daughter haunts whoever did this."

Cemetery manager Penny Stynes said: "It is a deplorable action. We wish we could prevent it but we can't police the cemetery all the time. It rarely happens, when it does, it is very distressing."

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Published Monday, January 31, 2005

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