A woman who was allegedly caught on camera stealing flowers from the grave of an 11-year-old boy has been charged with theft.<\/p>\n
The unnamed 71-year-old is due to appear at Redbridge Magistrates’ Court today where she is will be accused of taking the tributes from the grave of Robert Stringer in Barking, East London.<\/p>\n
Yesterday it was claimed by the boy’s family that the disgusted daughter of the woman who was filmed had given her name to police.<\/p>\n
Robert’s uncle Terence Rose said the family had received a call from officers to tell them the information.<\/p>\n
Mr Rose said: ‘The police called and told us they had received a phone call from the woman’s daughter. She was appalled to see her mum on the CCTV images.<\/p>\n
‘The police wouldn’t tell us any more information.’<\/p>\n
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police later confirmed that a member of the public had contacted them to identify the alleged thief.<\/p>\n
But she would not confirm if it was the woman’s daughter who had phoned with the information.<\/p>\n
They added that officers would approach the suspect later today.<\/p>\n
Footage of the woman taking flowers was captured secretly by Robert’s family after a number of plants and ornaments went missing from the grave at the Rippleside cemetery.<\/p>\n
Robert’s cousin Steve Rose spoke today of the family’s shock at what the footage uncovered.<\/p>\n
He said: ‘We were surprised, everyone expected it to be kids. It’s an awful, callous crime and none of us can understand how she could do that to a child.<\/p>\n
‘Robert was a lovely lad and it was a terrible tragedy.<\/p>\n
‘Potted plants and baskets started to disappear on a regular basis. That’s why we installed the camera.<\/p>\n
‘I want this woman prosecuted for the terrible things she’s done.<\/p>\n
‘It’s not the cost of the flowers, it’s the principle. The police have been very helpful but they told me she may only get a warning.’<\/p>\n
Robert’s aunt Kathleen Harris, 75, said: ‘I’m devastated because we have cared for the grave for the last 30 years. I’m so angry. I want her to be named and shamed.<\/p>\n
‘For her to come along and fill her boots like that is just wicked. What right has she got to steal from that grave?”<\/p>\n
Robert’s parents George and Joan never got over his death, which happened in 1980, said the family.<\/p>\n
His father George died in 1984 and mother Joan died in 2009. They were buried in the same plot as Robert.<\/p>\n
Today a worker at the cemetery said: ‘The council chief is coming to meet us today to talk about how this could have happened. She’s furious apparently.<\/p>\n
‘But it’s a huge cemetery and we can’t be everywhere at once.<\/p>\n
‘I don’t recognise the woman from the pictures. She’s not someone I’ve seen here before.’ <\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A woman who was allegedly caught on camera stealing flowers from the grave of an 11-year-old boy has been charged with theft. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9652","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\n