A MYSTERY has materialised in Malvern after memorial bench in a town churchyard went missing and was replaced by a completely different memory seat a week later.
The incident in the grounds of the historic Christ Church has left officials and police officers alike baffled.
It all began on February 29 when the Christ Church memorial bench was stolen sometime after 3.30pm.
The theft was reported to the police a day later – on March 1 – but then last Monday (March 7) Christ Church churchwarden Angela Green discovered a different brand new memorial bench – which also featured a plaque dedicating it to ‘Joyce Savage’ – in exactly the same spot as the old one.
Mrs Green and police officers in Malvern say they have been totally puzzled by the unusual goings on at the Avenue Road building and have now appealed for the public’s help in a bid to piece together what happened and to find out who Joyce was.
Police have stated Christ Church’s bench had been removed from its fixings with such force that damage had been caused to concrete slabs where it stood. However because the bench was being restored at the time of the theft its memorial plaque was not stolen.
Mrs Green told the Observer in her 20 years with the church said it was very odd and she had never known anything like this happen before.
“At the moment we have got no way of knowing where this bench has come from,” she said.
“If anybody knows where this Joyce Savage bench may have come from then please get in touch with us or the police.”
PC Dave Wise from Malvern Safer Neighbourhood Team said there was a lot of uncertainty over what had happened but added maybe the thieves had returned to the church with the wrong bench.
“Despite the best efforts of the church and the police, we have been unable to trace any family or friends of Joyce Savage or identify where this bench may have been taken from.
“It’s an unusual incident.
“I’ve not known a thief return any stolen goods off their own bat, let alone leave the wrong stolen goods.
“We’re very keen to restore the bench to its rightful place and hopefully catch the thief in the process.”
Anyone with any information about the bench or ‘Joyce Savage’ should call Christ Church on 01684 563350 or police on 101.
