A GRIEVING widow is considering having her husband's body exhumed unless security is improved at Radcliffe Cemetery.

"Grave robbers" are making Mrs Kathleen Edgar's life a nightmare by repeatedly stealing ornaments from the resting place of her late husband, Peter.

"It's very upsetting and I'm very bitter," said Mrs Edgar (50) of Morley Road, Radcliffe.

Her husband died of leukaemia last April and was buried in the cemetery.

Mrs Edgar and her three daughters placed a pottery dog and two pottery rabbits on his grave, but they were taken by thieves.

"We were very distressed and annoyed. You would think things were safe in a cemetery," said Mrs Edgar, who visits the grave virtually every day.

The family put more ornaments on the grave at Christmas and other anniversaries, but they too were stolen. The most recent incident was a fortnight ago when three pottery teddy bears, put there for Easter, were taken.

"It's not that they are expensive, but they are of tremendous sentimental value to us," she said.

"I've reported the thefts to Bury Council, but nothing seems to have been done. Security needs to be improved. It's got to the stage where I'm thinking about having him moved to another part of the cemetery where the grave can be seen. At the moment he is at the far end."

Mr Martin Hall, head of Bury Council's client services said: "Our security officers patrol the borough's cemeteries on a nightly basis. Unfortunately, there are occasions when certain cemeteries are targeted and when this happens we step up the patrols."

He added: "I will be contacting Mrs Edgar to discuss her concerns and will hopefully solve her problems."

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