A HEARTBROKEN Southampton woman has condemned thieves who stole precious keepsakes from her mother's grave.

Carrie Bailey, 33, was in the early stages of her pregnancy when she discovered that her mother Jennifer was suffering from cancer.

She helped nurse her during her illness and was devastated when she died before her grand-daughter was born.

Now Carrie is facing fresh heartache after noticing that several objects have been taken from her mother's grave at the city's Hollybrook Cemetery.

Daily Echo:

The stolen items include a bowl of stones, each one of which had a special meaning to Carrie and her mother.

She said: "Discovering that precious things had been taken from her grave absolutely broke my heart - it's horrible that anyone would do something like that.

"My mum was such a lovely person. She doesn't deserve what's happened. I know she's deceased but there's still a soul there in my opinion.

"The theft is a disgusting act committed by people with no morals. It's left me devastated."

In January 2009 Carrie discovered she was pregnant but her joy turned to tears two months later when she learned that her mother, who was in her early fifties, was seriously ill.

Daily Echo:

She said: "I did the best I could to help extend the life. I looked after her and made sure she was as comfortable and as happy as she could be.

"After just three sessions of radiotherapy she rapidly got worse.

"We all knew this battle was not going to be won. My mum was not going to see her the birth of my baby girl and my daughter will never see her nanny.

"However she will live on in our hearts. My daughter has been named after my mum and the amazing stories of her will be shared every day and night."

The theft comes just months after a huge tree at the cemetery was felled by vandals armed with a chainsaw.

The vandalism angered people with loved ones buried in the cemetery.

Daily Echo:

One woman posted: "We have just rushed up to the graves as my partner's twin is buried in front of the tree. If it had gone the other way it would have crushed his grave as well as the three next to him and the ones behind."

A police spokesman said anyone with information about the theft from Mrs Bailey's grave could call officers on 101, quoting 44200407332.