‘The thought of someone touching my dad's items makes me sick to the stomach’: Edinburgh Cemetery theft horrifies family

A family has been left horrified after a beloved ornament has been stolen off their dad’s grave on the third anniversary of his death.

Karen Attenburgh found that a treasured model horse had been stolen off her father’s grave at Craigmillar Castle Park Cemetery when she went to lay flowers there on Saturday.

She was heartbroken to see that the horse, which had huge sentimental value to the family, had been taken, saying: “To make matters worse it was taken on the 3rd anniversary of his passing.”

Karen was too upset after this discovery to go back the day after to mark her dad’s birthday, and her step mother called the police.

Karen with her father Robert, and the ornament that was stolen from Robert's grave.

This isn’t the first time that something has been stolen off her dad, Robert McGovern’s grave, as the previous model horse that was there was also stolen.

To have it happen again has horrified the whole family.

She said: “My dad was a betting man and loved a bet on the horses and these horses were a tribute to him.

"We are all very upset about it being stolen especially on his anniversary of him passing.

"These were sentimental to us and the family but to have both of them taken is sickening”

After she posted the theft on Facebook, a lady came forward and offered a replacement to the horse is an act of kindness to the family, who, although very grateful are now nervous of leaving it at the grave in case it is also taken.

Karen added: “We have been through a lot of heartache with both other horses going missing.

"Robbing from the dead is disgusting and inhumane and hope it brings them nothing but bad luck.

“It's one thing to rob the living but to rob the dead is truly beyond me.

The family has contacted the police and the staff at the cemetery to make them aware of the incident.

She continued: “The thought of someone touching my dad's items makes me sick to the stomach

“I don't want other people going through what my family have gone through, I just want a stop people causing heartbreak to others by stealing from graves.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said : "We are aware of the matter and are looking into it."

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