A MUM was disgusted to find out crooks had stolen lights from her baby's grave.

Samantha Reeve, from Witham, went to visit her daughter Harper's grave at the cemetery off Cypress Road.

She had taken her children to visit their sister when she discovered four out of eight solar lights had been stolen.

Mrs Reeve, of Colne Chase, said: "We took a video of the kids getting their Easter egg that Harper had left them.

"That's when my mum noticed the lights had gone.

"We thought they may have been broken as the grass had been cut up there, but there were no broken bits to be seen.

"We did ring the council and they said nothing had been reported.

"I'm just sickened knowing that someone would take from a baby's grave."

Harper was born still in 2012 after her heart stopped beating in the womb.

Her mum said: "She was a much wanted baby and we were over the moon finding out that we were pregnant.

"It was August 13 when I felt something was wrong.

"I could hear Harper's heartbeat all the time but that day I could not find her, my heart sank.

"We got sent to Broomfield Hospital to be greeted by a midwife at the door.

"That to me was signs I was not brining my baby girl home."

She was told after a scan that her baby had died.

She said: "Our world was torn apart in seconds.

"I had to carry my little princess for a further three days knowing she had died inside, I was no longer protecting her.

"I had to give birth naturally and this killed me inside."

Harper has two brothers- Cairo, seven, and Theodore, three.

They were heartbroken to find out their sister's lights had been stolen.

Mrs Reeve said: "Cairo and Theodore were angry that someone would steal from their sister.

"Cairo takes things to heart as he was meant to have a little sister and she never came home."

The family visited the grave on Easter Sunday, at about 11.30am.

Braintree Council has been contacted for comment.