A FAMILY has been left in tears after items they left in memory of their granddad were stolen.

Amy Constantine, 22, and her mum, Sarah Jones, 42, interned the ashes of Chris Jones, 69, in the woodland area of Southend Crematorium four weeks ago.

They left two plaques with messages including "Granddad you will always be loved and remembered. Your voice and your smile will always be with us" and vases dedicated to a "dear granddad" and "dear dad".

However, on Tuesday, they noticed that the four items had gone from where his ashes had been laid.

Miss Constantine, a carer, said: "When we saw that they had been taken, so sat on a bench and cried.

"We searched all the bins in the graveyard to see if we could find them.

"It is disappointing that someone would even think of doing this.

"It has made us not want to go the woodland just in case what we have left since has been taken again.

"We hold our breath as we go round the corner approaching the tree near to where he was interned.

"It was heart breaking.

"We are still heart broken.

"We finally had somewhere we could go to remember him and this has happened."

Mr Jones had died quite suddenly from lung cancer in July and the family decided to have his ashes interned at the crematorium.

However, apparently other people have also had items stolen from their remembrance places, including a mother who has had the memorial for her child trashed and other people's flowers and vases have also been taken.

Miss Constantine believes the thief is breaking in under a fence and to take the items.

She has checked with the management team of the crematorium who have confirmed that the items were not removed by them.

Miss Constantine added: "We are all very upset and disgusted that somebody would do something like this as we are all there for the same reason, to spend time with and remember our lost loved ones."

She asks anyone with information to get in touch by emailing her: amyconstantine@hotmail.co.uk