The family of an elderly woman whose grave was apparently damaged by a car at a Bradford cemetery say they want to track down those responsible for the wreckage.

Shahida Ahmed, from West Bowling, said her father, 90-year-old Mohammed Karim, had saved up “every penny” to buy the stone and surroundings for his wife Zeawaran, who died last year, aged 85.

The raised flower bed’s stone surroundings have been cracked and pushed to one side, leaving the bare soil underneath exposed.

Work on the plot was completed just four weeks ago and cost £2,500, said Mrs Ahmed, who visits her mother’s grave in Bowling Cemetery nearly every day.

She said police had told her they believed a car had driven into the structure.

“I think a very heavy object has hit it,” she said.

“I’m just devastated, I’m just trying to be strong. My dad, he is 90, and he saved every penny to have that for her, he was putting the money aside to do it for her.”

Mrs Ahmed said the family could not understand why her mother’s gravestone appeared to be the only one that had been damaged and her father wanted to know what had happened.

“He is so quiet and everything,” she said. “I have had to explain to him what has happened.

“He just wants to find out who could have done it and why, for what purpose. It does look like it has been done deliberately. It looks like somebody has tried to break the whole thing.

“The graves are very close together, so it is strange that it is only my mum’s that’s been affected.

“I know we can’t turn the clock back but If we had some answers it might make it a bit easier.”

Mrs Ahmed said she believed the incident had happened overnight on Thursday.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said officers were investigating after being called on Friday to reports of vandalism at the grave.

Antonio Smith, Bradford Council's bereavement service manager, said: “We are sorry to hear about this incident which must have been very distressing to the deceased's family.

“We will inspect the damage to the grave. This incident has been reported to the police and we would urge anyone with any information on what happened to contact local police.

“Unfortunately, the headstone is the responsibility of the grave owner. "

e-mail: tanya.orourke @telegraphandargus.co.uk