The grave of James Bulger has been vandalised for the second time in six weeks, with the heads of two marble cherubs removed from the headstone at Kirkdale Cemetery in Merseyside. Denise Fergus, the mother of the two-year-old who was murdered in 1993, said she was left feeling "devastation and disgust" after discovering the damage at lunchtime.
Ms Fergus said the cherubs had only recently been repaired following an attack in February, when the heads of the statues were knocked off and a smaller angel was thrown into a bin. Speaking exclusively to The Mirror, she said: "I am absolutely disgusted that James' grave has been demolished and devastated again. It has broken our hearts. The cherubs that we had got repaired with great care just a few weeks ago, have once again had their heads scythed off."
Merseyside Police have renewed their search for those responsible and are hunting for the missing marble heads, which have yet to be found. Katie McCreath, Director of KMC Legal & Finance, who is part of Ms Fergus's legal team, said: "The family are struggling to comprehend how this has been allowed to happen again. There is a real sense of disbelief that such cruelty continues, decades on."
The February attack prompted an outpouring of support, with a GoFundMe page raising more than £23,000 to repair the grave and fund future improvements. Ms Fergus previously thanked the "Army of Heroes" who contributed, saying the funds would allow for two new white marble cherubs to be installed in place of the originals, which had stood for over 30 years.
James Bulger was killed by Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, both aged ten, in February 1993. Following his death, Denise Fergus and her husband Stuart established the James Bulger Memorial Trust to support other families facing hardship.
