£2,000 reward for stolen plaque

A REWARD of up to £2,000 is being offered by crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers for information on thieves who stole a metal plaque erected in the memory of two young boys killed in an IRA bomb attack in Warrington.
The victims, 12-year old Tim Parry and three year old Johnathan Ball, died in 1993 after two bombs were detonated in the town centre in a blast that also injured 54 others. The two bombs exploded within a minute of each other on March 20 – the day before Mother’s Day.
The plaque is believed to have been stolen between April 20 and May 5. The scrap metal value of the stolen plaque, which forms part of the River of Life memorial on Bridge Street in Warrington, is thought to be worth around £30.
The plaque replicates a passage from the Bible featuring a large rock in which water flows down a channel into a dome. Along the channel are words to commemorate the bombing and the boys who lost their lives.
Lord Ashcroft, founder and chairman of Crimestoppers said: “It is a sad reality that some individuals pay such little respect to the memory of those young boys whose lives were so tragically taken.
“It is disgraceful that something as sentimental as this plaque would be stolen for such small monetary gain when the illegal removal of it has such painful effects on the loved ones of the victims. It has stripped the family and friends of these boys from the peace the plaque represented and deeply upset the community in which it was taken from.
“I urge anyone with information on the identity of the person(s) responsible or the whereabouts of the plaque to act immediately by contacting Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or by visiting our website www.crimestoppers-uk.org
Crimestoppers’ North West manager Gary Murray, said: “We want to encourage the public to fight back against metal thieves who heartlessly remove memorials of the deceased and create severe disruption for local communities and cost millions to the UK economy. Those who care can help us by giving any information they have about the theft of this plaque or about anyone stealing metal, anonymously to Crimestoppers.”
The reward of up to £2,000 is for information provided to Crimestoppers through our anonymous number 0800 555 111 that leads to an arrest and conviction of the individual/s responsible for this specific crime.