'No more broken hearts' Girl, 9, pens letter to crooks who stole from BABY sister's grave

A DEVASTATED nine-year-old girl has penned a note to callous thieves begging them to return mementos they snatched from the grave of her baby sister.

The heartless crooks stole pretty lights and a teddy bear from the plot after raiding the cemetery The heartless crooks stole pretty lights and a teddy bear from the plot after raiding the cemetery [BPM ]

Grieving Jessica Ryder wrote the letter and pinned it to the simple cross marking the tombstone of her baby sister, Grace Bishop, who died at just 23-weeks-old in January. 

"Please give my baby sister's fairy and butterflies back. It's made us sad to see them gone. No more broken hearts," she wrote in pink felt-tip pen. 

The heartless crooks stole pretty lights and a teddy bear from the plot after raiding Widney Manor Cemetery in Solihull, West Midlands at the end of last week.

Little Jessica made the heartbreaking discovery on Friday when she noticed the trinkets and lights, which she had draped over Gracie's grave, were missing. 

It is one of a spate of thefts at the cemetery in recent months.

Jessica and Gracie's mother, Gemma said: "How can anyone be so heartless?

"It's hard enough having to explain to your nine-year-old daughter why we're burying her sister and now she has to deal with this.

"Jessica has written on the message 'no more broken hearts' - this is what we always say to each other.

"She said to me the other day - 'when will there be no more broken hearts mummy?' She just can't understand why anyone would want to do this.

It's hard enough having to explain to your nine-year-old daughter why we're burying her sister and now she has to deal with this

Gemma Ryder

"Jessica decided that she wanted to write to the thieves and leave it on her sister's grave because she wants them to know how they have made her feel." 

Gracie's grave is not the only plot to be targeted by vile criminals. Plaques were also stolen from the grave of Lyle Bagley, a baby boy buried next to Gracie. 

His mother, Christina Morton, said: "I just don't know how anyone can steal from a baby's grave.

"It has got to the point where I have had to mark all of the things I put on my baby's grave - it shouldn't have to come to this, not in a cemetery of all places." 

Another grieving mother said a plant had been taken from her 33-year-old son's grave.

Last month widower Maurice Powell had 51 red roses stolen from his late wife's grave at Robin Hood Cemetery in Solihull a day after her funeral.

Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, which is responsible for the cemetery, has condemned the thefts.

"It is difficult to understand why anyone would want to steal items from the cemetery and show such complete disregard for people mourning the loss of a loved one," a spokeswoman said.

"In incidents such as these we encourage residents to contact the police and we will do what we can to help them investigate the matter." 

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