The City of Ely Council is calling for more police patrols in the evening after a number of thefts from headstones at Ely Cemetery.

Staff at the cemetery on Beech Lane have also been urged to stay vigilant and keep a look out after two separate incidents where sentimental items were taken from headstones.

Eva Mason, of Ely, was left devastated after thieves stole a specially made old fashioned leather football which was fixed to her father’s headstone.

She said: “I cannot start to understand why somebody would want to do this, it really is beyond belief.

“It’s deeply hurtful for myself and my family that this could happen to our beloved dad and granddad’s grave.

“All we can say is they are the lowest of the low to do this.

“A few other items have also gone missing in the last couple of weeks so I would like to see the council lock the gates during the evening or install CCTV.”

In the second incident, two vases were stolen from a grave at Ely Cemetery.

Tracey Coulson, clerk at the City of Ely Council, said: “We have contacted our local PCSO and asked them about increasing the number of patrols in the evening.

“We have also made the staff aware to be vigilant and to keep an eye on everything.

“It’s obviously very upsetting for the families and I really don’t understand why anyone would do something like this.”

A police spokesman said: “A stone football was taken from a grave on Beech Lane between 9am on September 10 and 9am on October 7.

“There was another report of a theft of two vases between 10.45am on October 2 and 5.30pm on October 3.

“We would ask residents to report any suspicious behaviour to police.”

Anyone with information regarding either incident should call police on 101 quoting CF0370490617 or visit www.contactcambspolice.uk/Report/

Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org

In July nine windows of Ely Cemetery were smashed, causing more than £17,000 worth of damage.

At the time, Sarah Jay, deputy clerk at City of Ely Council, said: “The Estates Team that manage the cemetery take great pride in their work and in maintaining the chapel and grounds to a high standard.”