Police appeal to find people who destroyed cemetery memorial bench

Officers are appealing for the public's help to identify the people who damaged a cemetery memorial bench.

Last Thursday (14 May) around 10am two men and a woman were seen sat on the bench drinking. at the Rose Garden,Coney Hill Cemetery and Crematorium, Gloucester.

Around an hour later the staff at the cemetery discovered the bench had been severely damaged.

At the time of the damage, a funeral was waiting to take place - investigating officers do not believe those responsible were part of the funeral - but police are asking for anyone who may have witnessed the damage to come forward.

The bench was in memorial of Daisy Witchell, aged 86, who died in 1970. The bench was paid for by her late husband, Alfred. Records show that Alfred lived in Slough at the time. We don’t know as to how Daisy’s resting place came to be Gloucester.

The bench will have to be replaced by Gloucester City Council.

Investigating officers are asking anyone who witnessed the incident or saw the group sat on the bench that morning to contact police on 101 quoting incident 246 of 14 May.