Memorial plaques stolen at church

The thefts from St James Church in Sutton, near Hull, came only five weeks after 40 plaques were taken in another raid. One of the victims lost her father's memorial in the first robbery and her husband's in the second.

Scrap metal thieves entered the graveyard and tore the bronze plaques off the wall in the Garden of Rest.

Churchwarden Ann Pullen said five people had replaced memorials only for them to be stolen again. She said: "It isn't just one crime – it's 70. I've had a lot of people ringing up. It's very upsetting."

War veteran John Irvin-Jones, 87, whose wife's memorial was stolen from the churchyard in August, said: "To be honest they can't have done any worse than if they'd gone and dug a grave up. To go and take them off a wall is shocking."

All the plaques taken last week were recovered from a holdall in a garden in Hull, following police inquiries and will be now returned to their owners.

Three men, 32, 47 and 56, have been arrested on suspicion of theft and released on bail.

After the thefts in August Mr Irvin-Jones offered the thieves his five medals from his Second World War service in a bid to get the plaque back.

Well-wishers have since donated more than 400 towards a new plaque.

But Mr Irvin-Jones said he had paid out of his own pocket for the replacement and would be splitting the donations between Dove House Hospice and Yorkshire Cancer Research.

Team vicar Rev Rachel Ganney said it would not be practical to lock up the churchyard. She said: "It's horrible for the families involved. Our thoughts and prayers are with them."