A bishop has condemned the theft of a memorial to two children killed by an IRA bomb as “senseless vandalism”.
A plaque that formed part of the River of Life, a memorial for victims of the 1993 Warrington blast, was taken from a wall in Bridge Street in a suspected metal theft.
Johnathan Ball (3) and Tim Parry (12) were killed by two small bombs placed in litter bins on the street, while 54 others were injured in the Cheshire town.
The Bishop of Warrington, the Rt Rev Richard Blackburn, said his prayers were with both families.
“This is senseless vandalism, grieving not only the families but the whole community. I appeal to all who have any information to assist the police and help take this investigation forward,” he said.
Tim Parry’s father, Colin, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “There has been a spate of war memorial thefts up and down the country and every one of them is shocking. It’s hard to imagine why anyone would stoop so low to do this.”
The memorial was unveiled by the Duchess of Kent as a symbol of continuing life. It was stolen some time between April 20th and May 5th.