By Victoria Brenan

Last updated at 12:01, Tuesday, 19 August 2008

THIEVES have stolen ornaments that adorned the grave of murdered baby Hassan Martin.

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Hassan’s mum, Lorna Patterson, has been left heartbroken by the theft, which she discovered on a visit to his grave at Carlisle Cemetery last week.

“The police told me that people put things there at their own risk but I can’t stop putting things on my son’s grave,” she said. “There’s nothing else I can give him.”

Hassan died nearly five years ago when his estranged father Shahajan Kabir slashed his throat in Greggs bakery on October 21, 2003 in Scotch Street.

Lorna, 25, said she still found it hard to cope without her son, who was just 10 months old when he was killed.

“I go to the cemetery regularly, about four days a week,” she said. “He’s still on my mind.”

She discovered that Bugs Bunny, Winnie the Pooh and Tigger ornaments, worth £20 each, had been taken from the grave in a children’s section of the cemetery last Wednesday.

“I was there on Monday and it was fine and when I went on Wednesday they weren’t there,” she said.

“It had me in tears when I went up there.

“It’s disgusting to think people would take things from a baby’s grave.”

Lorna said that flowers had been damaged on a previous occasion and cemetery staff believed it could be birds nesting nearby.

“That time it wasn’t just Hassan’s grave, it was others too, but this time it’s just Hassan’s,” she added.

She said there were still other ornaments on the grave and the theft would not stop her replacing the ones that were stolen.

A police spokesman confirmed they were investigating the theft.

“These people are desecrating the memory of a loved family member,” he added.

A spokesperson for Carlisle City Council, which runs the Dalston Road cemetery, said: “This callous action is distressing for families visiting their loved-ones graves.

“Visiting a cemetery plot is a way of coping with loss and a baby’s death is particularly distressing.

“This kind of action shows a level of cruelty which most people can’t begin to understand.”

She described thefts from graves as uncommon and said the 85-acre grounds were patrolled on a regular basis.

“We do advise against placing items, such as toys or other sentimental objects next to graves, as they are at risk of being stolen or weather-damaged,” she added.

“However, we have been liaising with the police and will provide as much support as we can.”

Kabir was jailed for life in July 2004 with a recommendation that he serve 16 years before being considered for parole.

Anyone with information about the theft, which occurred between August 11 and August 13, is asked to contact police on 0845 3300247.

VBrenan@cngroup.co.uk

First published at 11:49, Tuesday, 19 August 2008
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk