A heartbroken senior citizen has urged thieves to return the public bench she placed in a Perthshire beauty spot in memory of her late husband.
Helen Webster was stunned to be told the bench had been taken from its place at Kincladie Wood, near Dunning, this week.
It had been set in the spot where her husband of 47 years, Sid, regularly stopped to rest as he walked around the popular woods. He lost his fight against cancer last year.
It is thought the thieves used a van to reach the area and steal the bench, as well as another, which had been placed by another family.
Helen said, “Someone noticed the bench was gone and knew what it meant to me and came and told me. I was very upset. I think it’s disgraceful that something like this can be done.
“We used to walk in that area all the time and it was put where he stopped for a rest, which he needed because he was having treatment for cancer.
“A lot of people have been using it because it was placed in a really beautiful spot, away from the road and looking back towards the Grampians.
“I had just been along to put more preservative on it because you don’t want things to become weathered and it looked really good maybe that was the attraction.”
The bench does not have any significant markings, which may also have been a factor in its theft.
Mrs Webster said, “The woods are owned by Dunning Community Trust and they allowed me to place the bench there in memory of my husband.
“I wasn’t allowed to put a plaque on it which may have acted as a deterrent and wasn’t allowed to bolt it down.
“There were only two benches there in memory of deceased people, and both were quite new and both have been taken. Any older ones have been left behind.
“They were good, heavy, substantial benches but if someone had a van there was nothing to stop them being taken, and apparently tyre tracks were found in the field nearby.
“The only thing which was a bit different was there were metal bolts in the legs to keep it off the ground so it wasn’t affected by moisture.”
Mrs Webster said the bench cost hundreds of pounds and, in terms of sentimental value, was priceless.
Sid was a manager at several car tyre outlets in Perth and his widow said it was “standing room only” at his funeral last year as he was so well known and loved.
“I just hope whoever took it has enough of a conscience to put it back now they know the story of why it’s there,” she said.