The mum of a tragic teenager has hit out after her daughter's grave was targeted by a sick thief.
Mementoes have gone missing from Britney Mazzoncini's resting place in Barrhead's St Conval's cemetery.
But her grief-stricken mum Annette McKenzie has been ordered to take down cameras the family erected to catch the culprit after they posted recordings online.
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A middle-aged man has repeatedly been caught on camera swiping items from the teenager's grave at the Glasgow Road cemetery.
The 16-year-old took her own life in 2016 after suffering taunts at the hands of vile online bullies.
Her heartbroken mum and dad Raymond Mazzoncini still tend the grave regularly as they struggle to come to terms with the loss of their daughter - even erecting a mini-Christmas tree every year.
But they have been left reeling after mementoes - such ornaments, keepsakes and miniatures of alcohol left by Britney's family and friends - were swiped from the site.
The latest theft took place just last week, as the anniversary of the youngster's death approached.
However, the culprit was caught on camera after Annette rigged up security devices.
But now she has been ordered to remove them by cemetery bosses after producing video evidence of the crimes.
She told Renfrewshire Live : "The cemetery's response to what's happened is to send the Police to tell us to remove our cameras. They are only set off when you go to that grave and they only stay on for about a minute unless you stay at that grave.
"I'm totally annoyed at the lack of help the cemetery seem to offer, I would have more respect for them if they had contacted me and tried to work with us, rather than going through the Police."
Annette found out officers may be looking for her to advise her to remove the cameras after another affected family contacted her to pass on the information.
She said: "I was advised initially by staff at the cemetery to get a camera after Britney's headstone was smashed up then there have been these thefts on numerous occasions.
"The cameras have been there for three years."
She added: "I have never had a problem with staff at the cemetery, they are always lovely. I think this has come from the Diocese.
"I suppose the cameras have done their job now anyway they have caught who has been stealing from the grave."
And Annette, 40, has told of the toll the thefts have taken on her, saying: "Before they were there, I couldn't sleep worrying about it. It has given me peace of mind, it still makes me anxious and agitated, but not to the point where I can't sleep.
"I call the grave Britney's bedroom. Your child might not be here but you still want to protect them. That's the one place I can go."
Some of the items taken from the grave were bought by Annette, who continued: "There were mini bottles of drink left by her friends when they have birthdays etc. They always go up to have a drink with Britney.
"Some of the things are keepsakes I've brought from places I've been and places I've travelled to.
"I've tried to think of what makes someone do that, maybe they are homeless and hungry and they've taken them to sell, maybe they are an alcoholic.
"But it baffles me how, whatever the reason, somebody could justify that."
Other graves at St Conval's are also believed to have been targeted by the thief, who was apparently seem wandering around the site at the weekend by two witnesses, hours apart.
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