A wife was left heartbroken after her husband’s ashes were stolen from a garage in Bury.
Nigel Hill’s ashes were stolen from the family home on Brandlesholme Road on Tuesday, September 19.
He died of cancer earlier this year and his family planned to scatter his ashes at the local Woodbank Cricket Club, where he was a much-loved odd job man, but have been left “devastated and heartbroken” by the theft.
The ashes were stored in a mint green-coloured box, inside a burgundy-coloured tote bag, reported Manchester Evening News
A number of expensive power tools were also stolen, however, the family said they only care about his ashes being returned.
The incident has left his wife, Susan, devastated. She said it feels like she has “lost him for a second time”.
In a heartfelt appeal issued through Greater Manchester Police, she pleaded for anyone with information to come forward.
She said: “Earlier this year, I lost my husband Nigel to pancreatic cancer after being married for nearly fifty years. Nigel’s death has completely devastated our family, and to say we are heartbroken would be an understatement.
“On Tuesday 19 September 2023, I discovered that the garage at the rear of our home had been broken into and a number of power tools had been stolen from inside.
“Also stolen from inside the garage, from the wooden workbench, were Nigel’s ashes.
“Nigel spent the majority of his time in the garage, he was a passionate handyman who would turn his hands to absolutely anything and loved spending time at his workbench.”
She added: “When we received Nigel’s ashes, we decided as a family that we would place them on his wooden workbench in the garage, as this is where he loved to be, and where he was his happiest. One of Nigel’s last wishes was that he wanted to have his ashes scattered at Woodbank Cricket Club.
“A place which held a special place in his heart, he loved spending time here. As a family, we decided that we would wait until the cricket season was over to scatter Nigel’s ashes, and now the season is over, we cannot fulfil his wishes as someone has stolen them from us.
“I am appealing to the local community and the people of Bury, and I ask that anyone with any knowledge of this crime come forward with information. There must be someone who knows or has any information about this. I am not interested in the return of the power tools, all I want is for my husband’s ashes to be returned to us, so as a family we can fulfil his last wish and lay him to rest. I have already lost my husband, and now I have lost him for a second time.”
PC Rhian Toland of Greater Mancher Police’s Bury division, said: “This behaviour is totally unacceptable and we will work hard to find out the full circumstances and hopefully find the victim’s family ashes so we can return them to her. As you can imagine, the victim has been left terribly upset, her home has been broken into and the ashes of her dad have been taken.
“I would like to urge anyone who may have information regarding the burglary, or has witnessed anyone acting suspiciously in the area, to make contact with us immediately so we can follow these lines of enquiry and find out the full circumstances of this incident. Residents or businesses with private CCTV are also asked to check for anything that may be of relevance and make contact with us.”
Information can be reported by calling 0161 856 8222 quoting log 2738 of 19/09/23. Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers – anonymously – on 0800 555 111.
