Memorial plaques stolen from cemetery (From Wandsworth Guardian)

Memorial plaques stolen from Lambeth Cemetery, in Tooting

7:30am Saturday 10th September 2011 in News

Callous thieves have stolen memorial plaques from a cemetery, it has emerged.

One devastated woman, who contacted this newspaper, claimed that about 50 plaques had been taken in recent weeks from Lambeth Cemetery - but this figure has not been confirmed, and authorities have yet to reveal when the incident/s took place.

The woman, who asked not to be named, said she had gone to visit a relative's memorial at the cemetery, in Blackshaw Road, Tooting, only to discover it had been taken.

She said: "I was horrified. The whole row of around 50 plaques had been stolen, the rose bed were bare. These were memorials to people who have been created. It is disgusting. Presumably they were stolen for the metal. Someone should be doing something to prevent this."

A Lambeth Council spokeswoman said: "We reported the theft of a number of plaques to the police recently and continue to help them with their investigations.

"We are currently replacing the stolen memorials and they - along with existing plaques - are being installed using measures to make them even more secure and difficult to remove."

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