A PENSIONER has been left devastated after his wife’s grave was vandalised.

Widower Stanley Foster, aged 74, from Farnworth, noticed that an angel attached to the headstone of his wife Pauline’s grave had been stolen when he visited Farnworth Cemetery on Thursday morning.

Mr Foster, who was with his daughter Wendy, also noticed that another family ornament had been smashed against a brick wall and that a footprint had been left in the headstone.

Flowers and two white plant pots with Christmas cards attached and teddy bears were also stolen from the grave.

Mr Foster said: “I was in shock when I saw what had happened. It’s a disgrace that somebody could do this, that somebody could rob the dead.

“Pauline’s been buried in that cemetery for nine years and there’s never been a problem, it’s been really quiet. I feel so upset about this — who would smash a precious family ornament like that?”

Simon Foster, aged 37, one of three brothers and two sisters in the Foster family, was furious at the damage done to his mother’s grave, and called for the use of video surveillance at Farnworth Cemetery.

He said: “I just don’t know how someone can do this to a person’s grave. They have got to have evil in them to do something like this.

“I’ve seen teenagers in there and I’ve told them they shouldn’t be playing in the graveyards, but all I get back is abuse.

“People can walk in whenever they want, there are pathways where they can get in — there should be cameras there.”

A council spokesman said: “We are sorry to hear of any vandalism taking place in the cemetery and understand this must be upsetting for the family.

“There is no CCTV at any of our cemeteries and there are no plans to install it, due to both practicality and cost.

“We take all reasonable measures to secure the cemetery by locking the main gate at 4pm during the winter. We would ask visitors to the cemetery to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to our 24- hour security number 01204 336900 which is on signs at the cemetery.”