A MOTHER has spoken of her disgust at thieves who stole flowers from her son's grave.

Pauline Catterall has been going to the town's cemetery on Southport Road every day for three years since her son Darren, her only child, died at the age of 29.

A few weeks ago she says someone stole vases from the grave. And this week flower arrangements, including one sent from Ireland, have been taken.

Now she has called for Chorley Borough Council, which owns the cemetery, to provide a patrol to stop the thefts.

Mrs Catterall, of Maud Avenue, Chorley, said last year a petition containing hundreds of names was presented to the council calling for action, but nothing had been done.

"It's disgusting, I'm very annoyed about it. If they can take from the dead they can take from anyone," she said.

"It's time it was stopped. My son was very very popular and he gets so many flowers from different people.

"What these thieves get from robbing the dead beats me.

"Funerals are not cheap anyway but it's not the money. You think your loved ones are at rest and at peace and when people do things like this it turns your stomach.

"I hope the council will do something about it, if only for a few hours a day. I just wonder what we pay all this council tax for."

David Jones, the council's head of leisure services, said: "We are sorry to hear that this lady has had these problems and if she has any problems with the general management of the cemeteries she should contact us here.

"But it is not possible to have people at the cemeteries twenty four hours a day."