Toy Story memento stolen from two-year-old boy's grave

A mother has said she is "inconsolable" after a Buzz Lightyear figurine was removed from her two-year-old son's grave just weeks after he was buried.

Charlene Spackman's son Arthur was laid to rest on 10 May at the parish burial ground in Brockworth, Gloucester.

She said the "really sentimental" Toy Story figure had been bought on their first and only family holiday together.

Gloucestershire Police said officers were investigating the reported theft of a number of objects.

Ms Spackman said the memento, bought on a family holiday to Disneyland Paris shortly before Arthur died, was "really, really sentimental".

"It symbolised us having our one and only holiday with Arthur, and a really special memory of all four us having our photo done with Buzz, and how amazing Buzz was with Arthur," she said.

"[Our five-year-old daughter] Ellie had chosen it to go on Arthur's grave for him."

Arthur died after he was born with the terminal genetic condition nonketotic hyperglycinemia (NKH).

Solar lights placed on the grave were also removed, and Ms Spackman said that had been particularly difficult to accept.

"We made a promise he'd never be left in the dark," she said.

"Knowing he'd been left that night [when the lights were removed] in the dark was something I promised I'd never let happen."

"How could anyone do this? He's not even been in there three weeks."

Solar lights had also been taken from three other children's graves nearby, she added.

The burial ground's rules state the placing of "unusual or inappropriate" items on graves is discouraged to keep up its "harmonious appearance".

However, Ms Spackman said she had been told by Brockworth Parish Council that it was not responsible for the removal of the items.