A THIEF who took keepsakes from the grave of a Blackburn pub landlady, who only died three weeks ago, has been condemned as ‘disgusting’ and deplorable’.

Ex-pub landlord Stuart Donnelly has issued an appeal for the return of a wood-effect owl, which was the last thing he bought for his late wife Ann, who died suddenly on April 12 and is buried at Pleasington Cemetery.

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The treasured momento for the grandmother and mother-of-six, along with four light features, were taken overnight between Saturday and Sunday, leaving the family heartbroken.

Stuart, of Redlam, said: “You just don’t know how someone could do something like this - Ann has only been dead for just over a fortnight and this has been devastating.

“I’ve checked with cemetery staff and we know the owl and lights have not been moved. And I was talking to someone else, who has a grave nearby, who told me a stone angel had been taken from one of the plots.

“The owl has sentimental value to me and I’d even be prepared to pay a reward if someone was able to return it. The eyes used to light up when you passed by and it was just something I’d bought for her which we liked.

“It was not dear; it’s not worth a fortune. It was about £10 from a car boot sale.

“I have been looking for another but I can’t find one anywhere.”

The couple were well-known in the Blackburn area, having run the Prince of Wales, in Montague Street; The Lion, in Windsor Road; and The Royal Duke, in Johnson Street, for a total of ‘eight or nine years’.

Ann died suddenly of a heart condition at the age of 56, shortly after falling ill while out with Stuart, and her funeral service took place at St Luke’s Church on April 21, with donations to East Lancs Hospice.

She also left daughters Margaret-Ann, 39; Andrea, 37, and Annalise, 22; and sons John, 35; Stupot, 31; and Andrew, her father Joseph, brothers and sisters Georgina; John; Lizzy; Pat and Mandy, and 16 grandchildren.

Stuart, who visits the grave, in the south-east corner of the cemetery, towards Scotsman’s Wood regularly, now plans to contact the police about the theft.

Cllr Alan Cottam, a Pleasington ward councillor, said: “It is absolutely deplorable if someone has just stolen something like this from someone’s grave. You just can’t understand the mentality of it.”

Cllr Jim Smith, the borough council’s environment services cabinet member, said: “This is the first time that I’ve heard of something like this happening at Pleasington recently - I think it’s disgusting.”

In 2010, grieving families called for better security at the cemetery after a series of thefts.

Widowed husband Martin Townsend, then 47 and of Bute Road, Blackburn, spoke of his disgust after thieves stole ornaments from his wife Lynne’s grave.

And Julie Livesey, then 29 and of Sudellside Street, Darwen, said toy cars had been stolen from her baby Thomas Neely’s grave on four occasions.

And earlier this year, a thief who stole red roses laid on a Rishton man’s grave on the first Valentine’s Day since his death was branded as a ‘lowlife’.

Anne Taylor had placed the £42 bouquet of roses beside the headstone of her late husband John, only to return the following day and find the flowers gone.

If anyone has any details of the missing owl, or lights, they should call police on 101.