A mother has made a heartfelt appeal to the people of Burley-in-Wharfedale to help her find a statue stolen from her daughter's grave.

Mavis Tordoff-Wild bought a teddy bear monument to lay on her daughter, Julie Smith's, memorial stone when she was buried at St Mary's Church last March.

A globe-trotting sales director, Mrs Smith had managed to raise £60,000 for charity and raise her own daughter, Karis, by herself before she lost a ten-year battle against cancer.

But on Mrs Tordoff-Wild's last visit to the cemetery she found that the teddy, which was painted with her 41-year-old daughter's name and date of birth, had gone.

Mrs Tordoff-Wild, from Wibsey, has not reported the theft to the police because she believes a child might have taken it - and hopes someone in the village knows who.

She said: "She gave so much to the local community that I'm devastated someone could have done this.

"The monetary value doesn't come into it at all - it was just a sentimental gift from me to Julie because she loved teddies and had a huge collection, so when I saw this one I thought 'I must get that to keep her company'.

"To me it is something a child might have taken. But if your child came home with something like that you'd want to know where it came from, wouldn't you?

"There's no question of me wanting to get anyone in trouble, I would just like whoever took it to help me put it back where it belongs.

"Burley was Julie's home for her last four or five years and everyone knew her from supporting her fund-raising work for War on Cancer. So I really hope someone can help."

The curate of St Mary's, Reverend Roger Brookes, said he had only just been made aware of the problem but would gladly talk to the family about how the church could be of assistance.

He said: "I understand the statue seems to have been removed from the Garden of Remembrance beside the church.

"Clearly, we understand the distress and unhappiness this must cause and I have left contact details with the family, who I would be very happy to discuss the matter with."

l Anyone who knows anything about the stone teddy bear, which is around 12 inches high, should call Jim Jack at the Ilkley Gazette on (01943) 607022.