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A volunteer from the New Friends of Dewsbury Cemetery group was ‘horrified’ to find that five graves, including a war grave, had been vandalised last week.

Whilst out doing her morning check of the cemetery on Wednesday, January 25, Christine Leeman, trustee of the New Friends of Dewsbury Cemetery volunteer group, was ‘shocked’ and ‘horrified’ to discover that five graves had been vandalised with spray paint - including a war grave.

Christine said: “It’s awful. I always check the cemetery, just to make sure everything is okay, and I spotted the spray painted smiley face straight away - I was shocked and horrified.

“I just couldn’t believe it. I am just glad they didn't touch the memorial.

Mohammed Javed and Christine Leeman, next to the damaged war grave at Dewsbury Cemetery

“It's just so disrespectful. These lads fought and died for us and this is how they repay them?”

However Christine was ‘blown away’ by the support following the incident after - following a social media post on facebook - local business Headstones and Memorials on Crackenedge Lane, Dewsbury, came to the rescue by offering to clean the gravestones.

Christine added: “The company has been absolutely amazing with us, they have helped us for around four years now, and I know if I need anything all I have to do is ask and they are straight there to help.

“They couldn’t touch the war grave because the Commonwealth War Graves will deal with that, but they came to clean the private graves.

Mohammed Javed and Christine Leeman, at Dewsbury Cemetery

“I was just blown away, I put it in the group on Wednesday night and by 11am on Thursday morning it had all been cleaned off the private graves.

“They are just amazing and always support me, I can’t thank them enough.”

Following the clean-up, a spokesperson from Headstones and Memorials said: “As soon as we saw the social media post on Facebook we said to Christine that we were more than happy to deal with it.

“With something like this, it is very distressing for a loved one to see that a grave has been vandalised, we wanted to make sure that distress to the family and other people was minimal by rectifying it.

“We feel it is important to give back and help the community and it is in our ability to be able to make a difference we will."

Dewsbury cemetery volunteer ‘horrified’ to find gravestones vandalised