Heartache as memorial plaque vanishes from City Road Cemetery in Sheffield

The plaque for Olive Else was a place her family used to visit to pay their respects and mark special occasions.

But when Olive’s grandson, Craig Else, 46, went to visit last week he found that the metal plaque, along with many others, had all disappeared.

Sheffield Council said some plaques were stolen earlier this year and Craig suspects his late grandmothers has been taken.

But the council has admitted that plaques purchased for £300 to install at the cemetery in memory of loved ones are sold on a 15-year lease basis.

At the end of that period, the leaseholder is informed and may take the plaque home or re-lease.

If the council is unable to contact leaseholders, plaques are stored by the council for a minimum of three months to allow time for families to realise they have been taken down and to arrange to collect them should they wish to keep them.

Craig said he wants to warn other families with plaques in the cemetery that they are at risk.

He only found out about the lease on his grandmother’s running out when he contacted the council to report the plaque missing.

He said there is a lack of security cameras to capture what goes on in the area, so it could have been stolen.

“I’m not in a position to pay £300 to replace this, and if I was I wouldn’t feel safe having the plaque in its original place,” he said.

“It wouldn’t take much to place a camera on this location. At the moment it’s not covered by anything and is out of the way.”

Craig's late grandfather, who died in 1997, placed the plaque for his wife after she died in 1990.

He plans to have replica in granite placed on his mother's grave plot as “hopefully nobody will steal this” in that location.

Craig said: “It meant something to my grandad and my brother and I. I know her ashes are scattered behind the plaque, but it had an inscription on it that was very sentimental.”

He said it was “a very cold experience” dealing with the issue with the council’s Bereavement Services department and wished the council would “spend some time trying to protect the plaques that are left rather than expressing sympathy”.

Councillor Richard Williams, Chair of the council’s Communities, Parks and Leisure Committee, said: “Plaques can be purchased for on a 15-year lease for £300. Once the lease is over the lease holder is informed and may take the plaque home or re-lease. If the council is unable to contact leaseholders after multiple attempts, plaques are stored by the council for a minimum of three months to allow for families to collect their plaques.

“Fifteen years ago the council only collected the home addresses of leaseholders which can make it difficult to notify leaseholders, which is why plaques are stored to give families the opportunity to collect their plaque.”

“The council now collects email contacts for families to make it easier to contact them with information about their plaque. If plaques are not collected in this timeframe, they are disposed of,” he added.

“The council is aware of plaques being stolen from the memorial in City Road Cemetery in March 2023. We notified South Yorkshire Police, who are dealing with the incident. At the time, plaque leaseholders were notified of the thefts. We are wholeheartedly sorry for the hurt this will cause those affected.”