Mum 'disheartened' over thefts from baby's grave

Ms Limbert said toys and flower bouquets had disappeared from her daughter's grave over the past two-and-a-half years

A mum whose baby died aged just 16 days old has said she has been left "disheartened" by thieves regularly stealing items from her child's grave.

Tasha Limbert, 33, said over the past two-and-a-half years, several gifts had gone missing from on the grave of her daughter, Alexis, at York's Fulford Cemetery, which is owned by Fulford Parish Council.

Ms Limbert said: "As a parent, it's awful knowing I can't take my child who died nice things at the risk of it being stolen. What drives someone?"

North Yorkshire Police said it had received "no reports" of thefts from the cemetery, while a parish council spokesperson said anyone who took items from graves was to be "deplored".

Alexis died on Christmas Eve 2015, just over two weeks after she was born on 8 December, and was buried at Fulford Cemetery.

Ms Limbert said it was not until the seventh anniversary of her daughter's death that things started going missing from her grave.

Toys, including white metal rocking horse ornaments and flower bouquets, had since disappeared, she said.

Ms Limbert explained: "The anniversary of my daughter's death is Christmas Eve, so going up on her birthday on 8 December, giving her these gifts, and then to come back on Christmas Eve and find they've been stolen is awful - not just for me, but for my family as well.

"It's so disheartening, because you would have thought any grave, but especially a baby's grave, is a place you wouldn't steal from. What thought process do they go through?"

Ms Limbert said she had contacted those responsible for Fulford Cemetery on multiple occasions to complain about the missing items, but had never received a response.

"I'm very open in speaking about what's happened, because if I can help somebody by speaking about what's happening, I'm all for it," she added.

Other York residents also told the BBC that items such as vases and ornaments had been stolen from their relatives' graves at the cemetery, which has been managed by City of York Council since last month.

Ms Limbert said items from her daughter's grave had been taken on numerous occasions

A spokesperson for Fulford Parish Council said the cemetery was "a large site - nearly 30 acres with over 20,000 graves - that is open to members of the public during visiting hours".

"While the two members of ground staff stay alert for, and report, any suspicious behaviour, the cemetery has to rely on the honesty and goodwill of all visitors to respect the grounds, the graves and any personal possessions left at gravesides," they said.

"Resources at Fulford Cemetery do not stretch to fund CCTV or other forms of security and any personal items are therefore left at the grave deed owners' risk."

The parish council spokesperson added: "Police have confirmed there have been no reports of items being stolen from Fulford Cemetery over the past two years, and I can only find two other reports to the cemetery of missing items during this period.

"While it does not appear to be a widespread issue, any one instance is, of course, one too many, and the insensitive and criminal actions of those involved are to be deplored."

Meanwhile, a North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: "We have received no reports of theft from Fulford Cemetery.

"We would always encourage any victim of crime to report to us using 101/999, or our website when appropriate."

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