Berinsfield families left in tears after graveyard vandalism

Between 10 and 20 graves in Berinsfield Parish Council Burial Ground were affected by the act of vandalism which took place overnight last Saturday, March 11.

The parish council – which is responsible for the cemetery – said the incident was under police investigation and have started to lock the gates overnight.

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Sally Willoughby, 37, said she sobbed when she found her baby son’s grave had been one of those targeted.

“We didn’t expect to see that,” she said. “Who would do something like that?”

Joby's grave was one of between 10 and 20 graves which were vandalised overnight on Saturday, March 11 (Image: Sally Willoughby)

Each year since her two-month-old son Joby died of health complications in 2009, Mrs Willoughby has gathered at his grave to mark his birthday.

On February 27, just two weeks prior to the incident, she released balloons and laid a flower arrangement in the shape of the number 14 – the age Joby would have turned this year.

However, on the morning on Sunday, March 12, she received a message to say some graves had been vandalised. Her first thought was that it had been done by a wild animal.

She said: “When we got down there, it was awful. Nearly every single grave had been vandalised, and nearly every item decorating the graves had been chucked or thrown.

“There was no way that an animal could have done that.

“The arrangement on Joby’s grave was all taken apart and kicked. The flowers were all out and on the ground.

“It was the same with other graves and some of the headstones had been kicked off them. Some of the adults’ graves looked like someone had stood on top of them. Even the children’s graves were damaged.”

Lizzie Williams-Chevallier, 38, has two babies buried in the same grave. The headstone is decorated with two ornamental clay butterflies which bear their names – Jayden and Angel.

In the incident, vandals scratched the name of one of the butterflies. They also broke the wings off a porcelain angel and smashed an ornamental frog.

Ms Williams-Chevallier said: “My babies graves were completely empty, and all the ornaments were piled up to one side.

“I got upset and cried. I thought, ‘how could someone do this to any of these graves?’

Sharon Howlett, 64, was shopping when the vandalism was discovered. Her friends had tried to contact her, but she only heard of what had happened when she returned home.

Her father David Honer’s grave was damaged, and all the ornaments that decorated her baby granddaughter Shianne Hawkins’ grave were smashed.

Ms Howlett said: “Her things had all been taken off and slung on the ground and some of the ornaments had been smashed.

“There was an angel with wings that had been broken, and little cherubs had been slung off and in the grass.”

“You don’t bury someone and visit their graves and keep them nice and tidy to find out everything you have cared for has been smashed.”

Gemma King, 43, said she had watched bereaved families leave the graveyard in tears.

The ornaments which once decorated her grandfather Keith Hazell’s grave – ceramic meerkats and angels – were broken in the incident.

Gemma King took photos of the angel decoration on her grandfather's grave which was broken in the incident (Image: Gemma King)

She said: “All the ornaments were kicked everywhere. They were all battered and kicked. One of his ornaments had been stomped into pieces. The whole graveyard was an absolute mess.

“I was gutted because you don’t expect to go down to the graveyard and see that. People spend a lot of money and time down there.

“It is a chance to spend time with their loved ones after losing them. People can relax and get their thoughts together.

“Watching people – people that you know - leave the graveyard in tears was just heart-breaking.”

The affected families have called for better security at the cemetery. They want security cameras, the gates to be locked every night, and fencing around the cemetery to stop intruders.

Stuart Scott-Ely, chairman of the parish council, said the gates would continue to be locked for the duration of the police investigation.

He added there were already plans to enhance the cemetery because of plans for 1700 new homes in the field to the east, and that security upgrades would now also be considered.

He said: “The local community and in particular the families of loved ones buried in the cemetery were understandably devastated, confused and angered at the thought that somebody might have carried out a deliberate act of vandalism and the parish council has taken the precautionary measure of locking the pedestrian access gate overnight pending the outcome of the investigation.

“Berinsfield was recently awarded ‘Garden Village’ status by the government and there are plans for 1700 new homes plus associated infrastructure in the field to the east of the cemetery as part of a strategic allocation within the South Oxfordshire Local Plan

“The parish council already has plans to carry out enhancements at the cemetery and security upgrades will now be considered as part of this investment.”