A COUPLE mourning the loss of their baby son have suffered further heartbreak after ornaments were stolen from his grave.

Tee Jay Newman was delivered stillborn on June 23 and was buried in the graveyard of St Mary's Church in Prestwich.

His parents Michelle Booth (33) and Graham Newman (34) are still coming to terms with the loss of their child, but their pain has been made worse by the theft.

Miss Booth has visited Tee Jay's grave every week since he died, often taking toys, ornaments and flowers in memory of her son.

But when she went to the grave last Friday, she noticed that two cherub ornaments left at the grave shortly after her son's funeral had been stolen.

She said: "I am really, really angry that this could happen, but also very upset. It is obvious that a baby has been buried in the grave because there are toys there and a floral wreath in the shape of a teddy. I don't know how anyone could do something like this. It's absolutely disgusting.

"Graves are supposed to be sacred places, but even the dead aren't respected anymore."

Miss Booth and Mr Newman live in Albert Road, Whitefield, with children Danielle (15), twin brothers Sam and Daryl (12), and eight-year-old Leon.

"The children were looking forward to having another brother, and were upset by what happened. This has upset them all over again."

Baby Tee Jay was buried in the graveyard at St Mary's Church in the same grave as his grandfather, Alan Booth.

Miss Booth said: "We buried Tee Jay with my dad, who died in 1997, and nothing like this has ever happened before. The cherubs are the only things that were taken, and it doesn't look like any other graves have been touched. Why steal from my baby?

"I know that it's virtually impossible that the people who did this will be caught, so the only thing I can do is stop taking things to the grave."

The graveyard where Tee Jay is buried is in a yard at the side of the church, and used to be surrounded by a fence.

This fence has now been removed, and the graveyard is used as a shortcut to Prestwich Clough by dogwalkers.

"People always seem to be walking through the graveyard now and letting their dogs run around everywhere. If the fence was put back, it might provide a bit more security and privacy."

Bryan Hackett, priest-in-charge at St Mary's Church, said: "I am very sorry to hear that items have been stolen from a grave, but no reports have actually been made to the church. It is very rare for things like this to happen."