VISITORS to Rowley Regis Crematorium are urged to be vigilant after a pensioner had her bag snatched as she tended a relative’s grave.

Retired nurse Anne Nickson, from Lower Gornal, was visiting the grave of her father which also features a memorial plaque for her tragic two-year-old son who died in 1986, when her handbag was taken.

She says she placed the bag down as she tended to the grave in the grounds of the crematorium in Powke Lane - having spotted a man kneeling at a nearby tombstone out of the corner of her eye.

The next thing she knew - her bag had gone.

She said: "I saw a shadow come and I just knew he was going to snatch my bag. I'm usually so careful."

Rowley Town Police Sergeant Cheryl Reed said: “This offence is truly despicable: the lady was tending a grave and when her back was turned an opportunist thief has swiped her handbag from a gravestone.

"The woman was not injured or threatened and there was nothing of significant value in her bag – but such a theft can understandably leave victims very upset.’

The victim said thankfully a good samaritan came to her aid and gave her a lift home after the incident which left her shaken.

Sgt Reed added: “I will be liaising with partner agencies to see if there is anything that can be done to improve security at the cemetery and increase patrols of local wardens there to provide reassurance.

“We would urge people to be vigilant and anyone who spots someone they believe is acting suspiciously in the cemetery – or if someone has had something stolen – then please call 999 so we can get officers to the scene quickly and hopefully apprehend offenders.”

Sandwell Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for neighbourhoods and communities Councillor Syeda Khatun said the authority was aware of the incident and another recent theft at the cemetery and added: “We do have CCTV installed that covers some of the cemetery and the crematorium building, and the police are aware of that as well.

“It’s incredibly sad and disappointing that thieves have targeted grieving visitors at a cemetery of all places.

“We would ask visitors to the crematorium and cemetery to be vigilant and also not to leave belongings on show in their cars.”

Police say in 2017 there were three thefts from vehicles at the cemetery - on December 2, May 29 and 20 last year.

While Councillor Ian Kettle, Dudley’s cabinet member for planning and economic development, said a bag theft was reported at Dudley’s Gornal Wood Crematorium late last year.

He said such incidents were rare but urged visitors and staff to be on their guard and he added: "Although thefts are rare, we always recommend to visitors that expensive or items of sentimental value are not left on graves.”

Anyone with any information about the incident at Rowley Regis Crematorium, which happened at around 2.45pm on January 7, is urged to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

The offender was described as being in his teens, around five feet tall, with black conventionally cut hair, a round face and dressed in a navy blue jacket and dark grey trousers.

He is believed to have fled to a waiting car, thought to be a mushroom coloured Nissan with an X in the registration number, inside which there was a man, also in his teens, with short fair hair.