FOR nearly four years Edward Allsop has lovingly tended his wife's grave at York Cemetery.

He also takes it upon himself to care for a further 60 plots at the Cemetery Road site with his daughter.

But the 89-year-old, from Hambleton Way, Huntington, has now been left devastated.

He was horrified to discover that more than 50 begonias had been swiped from his wife Labella's headstone, along with a new plant pot.

"Why the hell would someone do this?" said Mr Allsopp, who regularly spends four hours of his free time maintaining the cemetery.

"The grave has been completely stripped of its flowers and plants. I can't believe it.

"All the staff at the cemetery have been telling me how nice it looked."

His daughter, Doreen Allsopp, 71, said she was "devastated" by the theft.

"It makes me sick," Doreen said. "I'm so angry about it - these people need to be shamed."

Cemetery warden Hugh Goudge said: "How do these people sleep at night?

"This is not the first time this has happened. Unfortunately, it would need 400 CCTV cameras to cover the site. It's very difficult to catch them in the act.

"Mr Allsopp is one of our oldest volunteers and we're all very sad for him.

"His wife used to love organ music, so he plays ours to her because the grave is nearby."

"I used to visit my wife's grave every day until my doctor told me it was affecting my health," said Mr Allsopp. "I now go once a week.

"I find it really therapeutic to visit the grave. I talk to my wife when I'm there and she talks back to me.

"I haven't reported the theft to the police because what can they do? The damage is done."

Updated: 11:29 Monday, June 24, 2002