A widow is angry and upset at thieves who have targeted two graves at a cemetery – one of them her husband’s final resting place.

Deborah Ward, 46, of West End Road, Tiptree, was distraught to find a grey granite vase missing from the grave of husband, John, who died of cancer in August 2009.

It was the second such incident in St Luke’s churchyard, in Church Road, Tiptree, in a month. Over the same period, someone also took a white 2ft cross from the grave of Mary Sorrell’s brother, Glyn Salvage, who died, aged eight, in 1946.

Mrs Ward said she suspected the same thieves had taken both items and planned to put them on a grave somewhere else.

She added: “I’m so angry about it. It’s below degrading to think someone could take these things from graves.

“Families go there to mourn and pay their respects.

“You can’t get much lower than to steal something off someone’s grave. It’s not vandalism, as they didn’t attack other graves and have only taken items with no names on them.

“The vase just had ‘Dad’ on it, in silver letters, for our sons Christopher and Thomas..”

PC Mel Wilson, of Colchester south neighbourhood policing team, said the vase, worth £60, had been taken some time between December 25 and January 28.

She added: “It’s unthinkable someone would steal from a grave.

“The family deserve to be able to grieve in peace and it’s very unfair for someone to disturb that.”

The marble cross, worth £500, was stolen from Glynn Salvage’s grave between January 2 and January 26. Anyone with information about the thefts is asked to call PC Wilson on 0300 3334444.