A DISTRAUGHT mother has made an emotional plea for thieves to leave her daughter's grave alone so she can grieve in peace.

Ornaments and plants have been going missing from around Rachel Sugden's gravestone at St George's Church in Kidderminster for eight months.Sue Sugden by her daughter's grave in St George's churchyard, where ornaments have been stolen.

Her mother, Sue Sugden, said the final straw came on Sunday when she visited the place where her daughter's ashes were scattered to find that "nearly everything had gone".

The 52-year-old cleaner, of Marlowe Close, said family and friends had decorated the 23-year-old animal-lover's resting place with animal figures, many irreplaceable.

She added it was hard enough to come to terms with the death of her only daughter without experiencing such heartless behaviour.

Rachel, a former King Charles I High School pupil, died in a car crash two years ago.

Mrs Sugden, who visits the grave every day, said: "I'd like this message to go out to whoever has stolen from the grave that they're not fit to walk the earth and they're heartless people.

"They don't realise it is heart-breaking enough for me visiting the grave without this.

"How would they feel if it was their daughter who had been killed?"

She said her husband Alan, an engineer, thought children were responsible for the thefts but she believed adults were to blame.

She said some items have been taken, and others re-arranged to mask the thefts.

"Some of the things may have only cost £1 but they were all things she loved.

"If it is children - and I'm not accusing them - I'd just like parents to check if their children are coming home with things."

Mrs Sugden said items had also gone missing from other graves and she intended to speak to police about patrolling the area.

An ornamental dolphin, dragon and a seahorse were among the items stolen from Rachel's grave.

Rev Nick Barker, vicar of St George's, said he was aware of a sporadic problem which was difficult to address.

"Occasionally people ring me up because flowers have gone missing or graves have been tampered with and they find it extremely upsetting.

"We cannot mount a permanent guard in the churchyard so we just never know when these kind of things are going to happen.

"But if people could be made aware of how distressing it is, then that might help."