SIBLINGS who lost both their parents this year have spoken of their devastation after callous thieves stole tributes from their graves.

Maxine Simms and brother Marten Boyce buried their parents, Jack and Peggy Boyce, in March and July of this year at Braintree Cemetery on London Road.

However Maxine, 59, was horrified to discover one day that the tributes they had spent hundreds of pounds on were no longer there.

Maxine, of Great Notley, only noticed last week, having not visited the graves after being uneasy about a nearby traveller encampment last month.

She said: “We could not quite take it in at first, I thought perhaps they had been moved or something and then I got in touch with the council who investigated and confirmed that was not the case.”

Jack and Peggy moved with the rest of the family from London and had lived in the Great Notley garden village for 17 years, making many friends.

Maxine said: “Mum and dad were getting on in years and we thought if we moved out here we would have more time to care for them and it worked out really well.

“They loved it here, it was a big change for them but Braintree was the perfect location.

“It would have been their 60th wedding anniversary two weeks after mum died.

“They had been together for a very long time, they were so close they were like one person.”

Among the five tributes, each costing more than £100, were floral designs for grandmother-of-four Peggy, as well as the emblem of the couple’s beloved Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.

Maxine said: “Losing one parent is bad enough but losing two in such a short period of time doubles the loss.

"Then for this to happen, it has left us devastated, it seems very personal for someone to do something like this.

"Especially taking things that were from the grandchildren, it is terrible.”

A Braintree Council spokesman said: “We’re sorry to hear of the distress caused.

"It is very unusual for floral memorials to be taken and our staff will continue to monitor the site each day and we will report anything suspicious.”

Essex Police have asked any witnesses to call 101.