A woman whose father’s ashes were stolen in a burglary has urged the culprit to show compassion, saying: “I feel like I’ve lost him twice.”
Nigel Hill’s ashes were stolen along with some power tools from a garage at the home in Bury, Greater Manchester, that he had shared with his wife, Susan. He died aged 72 in January.
His daughter, Sarah, said the family were in “complete disbelief” and that her worst fear was that her father’s ashes had been snorted, one of many different scenarios that have gone through her head.
“The worst one is that my dad’s been snorted. That’s the worst thing. Or he’s just been completely discarded or been thrown away somewhere, thrown in the river, just shoved in a dustbin. There’s all sorts.
“I miss my dad anyway, but to just have this, it’s not nice. It’s really tainted the memories that we’ve had.
“I can honestly understand why someone has not come forward, because my dad was a well-known character in the community; he was held in high regard. I can understand why someone is fearful of not dropping them off or not telling someone.”
Hill had been a cricket volunteer and after he died was described by Woodbank Cricket Club members as one of the “friendliest, kindest and most hardworking people”.
Hundreds of people turned out for a sponsored walk that he organised in aid of Bury hospice, where he died of cancer. He raised more than £5,000 and was described by the hospice as “a true gentleman”.
It had been hoped that Hill’s ashes could be scattered on the cricket pitch after the end of the season.
After the burglary on 19 September, the community rallied and many people, including local children, went out looking for the mint-green box containing the ashes.
“People are as heartbroken as we are. A lot of people are quite angry, quite rightly,” said Sarah. “But it’s been weeks now and the longer it goes on, the longer you go, ‘We’re never going to get him back.’ We’re stuck in limbo really, because you just cannot believe your dad’s been nicked.”
She appealed directly to whoever had taken the box: “Please return him to my mum. My mum is a lady, she’s a wonderful woman. She doesn’t deserve this.”
Greater Manchester police said they were following a number of lines of inquiry, but had issued a further appeal to the public for information.
PC Rhian Toland said: “This behaviour is totally unacceptable and we will work hard to find out the full circumstances and hopefully find the victim’s family ashes so we can return them to her.”
A similar crime was committed a month later, in which a wooden decorative urn containing a woman’s ashes was stolen from a farm in Northamptonshire.
Sophie Edmondson, whose mother, Hannah Aquarone, died in 2017, said she thought her ashes were likely to have been discarded when the thieves realised what they were. “The worst thought would be that they just dumped her somewhere on the side of a road. I dread to think where it is,” she told the BBC.
