A DISTRAUGHT woman whose husband’s ashes were stolen from outside her home is appealing for the thieves to return them.

Retired factory worker Sylvia Waghorn, 62, of Barnfield Road, St Paul’s Cray, is still grieving the loss of her husband of 39 years, Percy, who died last June.

Soon after Percy died from pneumonia, Sylvia mixed the 81-year-old labourer’s ashes with soil to plant a rose tree and heather in two terracotta pots.

But when she woke on the morning of June 13, the pots —and Percy’s ashes — were gone.

She told News Shopper: “I have been left absolutely devastated by the loss.

“I’ve lived here for 40 years. I’ve never had anything stolen and then they go and take Percy.

“They are just a couple of pots to anyone else but to me that’s Percy.

“I wish I’d just left him at the crematorium.” Sylvia says the theft is affecting her whole life and she cannot stop thinking about it.

“I’m having problems sleeping. In fact I can’t sleep at all. I’ve been like it since they went. It’s going to take a long time to get over.” Sylvia bought the pots with money raised from a residents’ collection.

They were around a foot deep. One had a green ring around the top and bottom and a green leaf design. The other was plain brown.

“I think they must have had a car because the pots were quite heavy but none of my neighbours saw anything.

“And I am not too hopeful about getting him back,” Sylvia said.

A spokesman from Bromley police said: “We are very sorry for her loss but due to the lack of evidence, witnesses or forensics we are unable to investigate this theft.” If you have any information on the whereabouts of the pots, call News Shopper on 01689 885724.