AN INVESTIGATION is underway at a cemetery in County Durham after items were removed from graves.

Sedgefield Town Council has confirmed it is looking into a report that ornaments had disappeared from a resting place in Butterwick Road Cemetery.

Comments made on a public Facebook page this week referred to belongings going missing from a plot while just months earlier a flower pot on the grave of Amy Stockill, who died aged 13 in 2016, was removed and later found in a bin.

Town clerk Jane Ayre said while there were rules and regulations about items being left on resting places, no member of council staff had moved any items and they were now making inquiries. She added: “We’re sorry to hear of this particular incident and we’re currently in the process of making inquiries and we’ll contact the member of public personally as soon as we’ve got information regarding their particular circumstances.

“We are aware these are sensitive issues in relation to the cemetery and we do try hard to ensure that things like this don’t happen.

“But due to the open access of the cemetery and by its very nature we’re unable to physically be in attendance at all times so we do rely on the general public to be respectful and sensitive to the feelings of others.” Ms Ayre said the town council would discretely ask cemetery visitors if they had seen anything suspicious or if they had any information about the removal of items, which in the case they are investigating happened “several weeks ago”.

Lisa Stockill, the bereaved mother of Amy, said a purple pot with purple pansies went missing in June and a few days later was found in a bin.

“Since then a few other things have gone missing from graves,” added Mrs Stockill, who said she has received complaints about the number of items she has laid on her daughter’s grave. “Everybody grieves differently. People want to feel like they are giving things to their loved ones.”

The town council is appealing for anyone with information to call on 01740 621273.