A heartbroken daughter says she relived her father's death when she found his someone had stolen an expensive granite plinth stolen from his grave.
Clare Scovell, 44, says it looked like the grave had been opened up again when all that was left was the granite headstone and three granite vases with inscriptions on them in the mud.
The family have launched a GoFundMe to cover the £3,000 cost of replacing the plinth, which they say doesn't include the cost of shipping, labour or engraving.
Mum Barbara, 70, made the horrifying discovery last month when she went to visit her dead husband's grave at Eastleigh Cemetery as her family has faithfully done every two weeks since he passed five years ago.
The retired general practice manager told the Mirror: "I thought I was at the wrong grave because the whole granite was gone.
"I can't tell you how I felt because it was horrendous, I see the headstone and it was my husband's name.
"And I couldn't comprehend it - what have they done? I went into hysterics."
Clare, a health and safety advisor, who arrived shortly after Barbara called her, added: "I arrived and my mum was in bits and when I saw the grave I nearly fell to my knees and I felt physically sick.
"It's like we are reliving dad's death all over again, he died in May 2017, and we going back through those emotions again."
The granite plinth measures three feet by six feet and is a couple of inches thick. It was cemented down onto the ground.
Clare says she immediately reported the theft to the police.
She said: "I phoned the police and a cop even told me 'you don't steal from the living let alone the dead'.
"They said they won't be taking it any further because there is no CCTV, no witnesses and no suspect."
Clare then decided to investigate what happened herself by speaking to residents who live nearby.
She said: "I found a house that is occupied by a recruitment agency that has a Ring doorbell camera.
"The cemetery doesn't allow vehicle access from 8-4pm and interestingly on the CCTV, we saw a white van come into the cemetery at six minutes to 6pm.
"I chased it up with the council to find out why the gates were not shut."
She added: "I went old school policing and I created 'Can you help me posters' and I went down the street that lines the cemetery to speak to people. I put leaflets through their door and hung up leaflets in local shops. I posted it on Facebook.
"Interestingly a dog walker said they saw a hammer and a chisel about five graves down from my dad just laid on the grass and when they went to the staff they said they don't have those tools - those are just stonemasons.
"We found out that there were no stonemasons scheduled to attend that cemetery from July 21 to August 2."
Barbara and Fred were married 47 years.
Barbara said: "Fred died six days after his 70th birthday and he was a lovely husband and dad. I met him when I was 15 and we got married when I was 19. He was my first love.
"He worshipped all of us. He died of cancer but it was very quick.
Barbara added: "He'd be mortified if that was me in there. He went out of his way for his family.
The granite comes from Spain and will cost £3,000 to replace, but that doesn't include the cost of labour and shipping.
Clare and her mum also want to get the plinth engraved because they think the fact it was blank is what made it a desirable target for thieves as the engraved granite headstone and three vases were left untouched.
They also say they've been told it will take at least six months to replace.
Clare said: "I went back and put slat on top of the mud because it looks like it has been reopened."
Barbara said: "The person who did this doesn't have a conscience they put the vases back in the exact spots."
She added: "People have been so kind and I don't even know them. I faithfully visited the grave every two weeks and if I couldn't make it, someone from the family would go."
A Hampshire Police spokesperson told The Mirror: "We received a report of a granite plinth having been stolen from a grave at Eastleigh Cemetery on Brookwood Avenue between Tuesday 19 July and Tuesday 2 August.
"The incident has been filed, pending any new information coming to light, in which case it will be re-opened and investigated further."
An Eastleigh Borough Council spokesperson told the Mirror: “We extend our deepest sympathies to the family following the theft of the granite gravestone from Eastleigh Cemetery.
"We are currently investigating the incident and will provide any assistance to the Police as they carry out their investigation of this appalling theft.”
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