A picture of a baby boy on a gravestone in Teddington Cemetery has been damaged and ornaments stolen in a sickening act of vandalism.

Richmond and Twickenham Times:

Defaced: The appalling damage to the headstone 

The grave of Patrick James O’Mara-Roberts, who died in 1994 aged just two years and 11 months, was surrounded by ornaments such as a small bear, gnome and a cupcake, which were stolen this month.

Patrick’s mother, Maxine O’Mara, tends to the grave regularly and said the items went missing between the afternoon of May 7 and the following morning, and she found the picture severely damaged on the Monday morning of this week.

She said: “My son was very ill and the picture showed him with tubes in his face. To know someone has just stood there and smashed in a picture of a baby who is very ill is just sickening.”

Ms O’Mara, who lives near Queens Road, said it was the first time anything had been stolen from the grave and, although the items would not be valuable to whoever took them, they meant a great deal to her and her family.

She said: “They took all kinds of things that to them would have meant nothing. I have rung the cemetery office but they just say they are sorry there is nothing they can do.”

She said police had been helpful, but the fences and gates around the cemetery were very low and people could jump over them very easily.

Ms O’Mara said Patrick’s grave was not the only one to have had items taken from it in the past year.

She said: “I just want people to know what is going on so people can be aware.”

A spokesman for Richmond Council said it was helping police with their enquiries.

He said: “The council is doing everything it can to stop this mindless act of vandalism and our first thoughts are with the family. Staff at Teddington Cemetery are paying close attention to this section of land to try and prevent this crime from happening again.”