POLICE have condemned a vandal attack in a town’s cemetery as "despicable.”

The grave of a 90-year-old grandmother in the cemetery at Norton, near Malton, was targeted with silk flowers removed and a card ripped to pieces.

Dorothy Gant died in December and her grave was targeted less than a month after she was buried in the cemetery.

Her daughter Liz Harrison said: "The flowers were placed in two floats so it was impossible for them to blow away and my daughter had also left a card which had been taken out of its envelope and torn in half.

"She had gone to the grave with her own five-year-old daughter and was very upset to see that the card had been ripped up and thrown around the cemetery.

"My mother's grave is out on a limb so we are now going to the cemetery on a daily basis to check that everything is okay."

Last September the grave of a 10-year-old boy was also targeted by vandals and further damage was caused to his and a neighbouring grave in November.

A police spokesman said: "To steal items such as flowers and belongings which hold special memories from a grave is a despicable crime.

"To willingly cause such upset to grieving families, relatives and friends is a hurtful and shameful thing to do.”