Lockerbie bombing memorial money stolen

The memorial room is located near where the nose cone of Pan Am Flight 103 came down

Donated money has been stolen from a church memorial room that honours the victims of the Lockerbie bombing.

The money was stolen from the room in Tundergarth Church, which stands next to one of the crash sites.

The room honours the 270 lives lost in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland on 21 December 1988.

The theft happened at 08:45 on Friday was picked up by security cameras. Police Scotland have been informed and are investigating.

Tundergarth Church overlooks the field where the nose cone of Flight 103 came down. It is one of four memorial sites in and around the town of Lockerbie in Dumfries and Galloway.

The memorial room at the church relies on donations to stay open. The Trust also hopes to raise funds to build a memorial museum there.

Tundergarth Kirks Trust, which work alongside Pan Am 103 Lockerbie Legacy Foundation to preserve the room, has appealed for the money to be returned.

Tundergarth Church is next to the Lockerbie bombing crash site

A spokesperson for Tundergarth Kirks Trust said: "It beggars belief that somebody would steal donation money from a place that honours all 270 victims of the worst terrorist attack to have taken place on British soil.

"The Tundergarth Kirks Trust and Pan Am 103 Lockerbie Legacy Foundation work tirelessly to ensure the church remains open, as well as continually investing in the development of the Victims Memorial Room and the future Memorial Museum, in the 1575 Kirk ruin site.

"We hope this person will come forward and return the money."

A Police Scotland spokesperson said inquiries were ongoing.

The bombing remains Britain's worst terrorist attack. A total of 259 passengers and crew and 11 locals died when a bomb detonated in the cargo hold of the 747, which was travelling from London to New York.

In 2001, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, a Libyan intelligence officer, was jailed for life after being found guilty of 270 counts of murder in connection with the bombing.

In August 2009, he was released by the Scottish government on compassionate grounds after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. He died in May 2012 as the only person yet to be convicted for the attack.

Last December a man accused of making the bomb was taken into custody the US.