KIND stonemasons have stepped in to help a widower put a headstone on his wife's grave after he was targeted by cruel thieves.

William Dent, 89, this week expressed his gratitude to Steve Vanhinsbergh from B&V Masonry Ltd who came forward after reading about the pensioner's plight in The Gazette.

The family-run business, based on Kingsclere Road, Wotton St Lawrence, made the offer to supply and engrave a headstone for free after reading in The Gazette of how heartless thieves stole £600 from the pensioner.

Mr Dent was saving the money to buy a headstone for his wife Sheila, who is buried in Worting Road Cemetery. She died of a heart attack in July, just days before her 60th birthday.

Mr Vanhinsbergh, who was touched by the story, said: "It was the least we could do. We wanted to do him a favour because he lost his savings for a memorial stone, and as we make memorial stones we thought it was a way of being able to help."

Once a permit has been obtained from Basingstoke council, Mr Vanhinsbergh hopes to have the headstone in place in a few weeks.

Mr Dent is still coming to terms with his wife's death after 18 years of marriage. He said: "She was a very good wife - I miss her."

Mr Dent, who suffers from poor eyesight and is hard of hearing, described his utter surprise at finding three intruders in his bungalow in Oakridge on February 6.

He said: "I would never have believed there are such people about - they are the scum of the earth."

Police are still hunting the culprits. Anyone with information should contact WPc Walker on 0845 045 4545, or the Crimestoppers hotline on 0800 555 111.