Crematorium staff 'hurting' after equipment stolen

Bosses at Glynn Valley Crematorium said about £50,000 worth of equipment was stolen during the thefts

Crematorium bosses say thefts have left staff distraught and having to deal with complaints about the state of the site.

Bodmin's Glynn Valley Crematorium was targeted by burglars on separate occasions in May and June with about £50,000 worth of gardening equipment stolen from the 10-acre (40,470 sq m) site.

Business manager Karen Stewart said staff had been forced to transport their equipment to a separate storage unit off-site and had issues maintaining the crematorium, leading to complaints from grieving families.

Devon and Cornwall Police has asked anyone with information or video footage from the area to contact the force.

The items stolen included leaf blowers, hedge cutters, a lawn mower, a pressure washer, strimmers and a cement mixer.

Ms Stewart said the thefts had greatly impacted the site and how safe people felt there.

"They even took our trailer we had for carrying heavy materials, and we could see it leaving on our CCTV," she said.

"Through that one act of selfishness, this place that felt safe and secure maybe doesn't so much."

She added staff at the crematorium had been left devastated by the thefts.

"I kept saying to staff it's not your own house and it's not your furniture that's gone," Ms Stewart said.

"They were like: 'It hurts - you come in here, make all this effort to make it lovely and someone turns up and takes everything.'

"So it has caused us quite a few problems because we now don't keep anything on site."