Plaques missing from Rochdale Cemetery

A number of plaques in the garden of remembrance at Rochdale Cemetery have been gone missing over the Christmas period.

Keith McHugh, who visits the garden to remember his mother, who died in 1999, went to the garden on Christmas Eve and noticed that the plaque for his mother had gone.

He said: “We go every Christmas and we were looking for ages and we couldn’t find the plaque. We also noticed that quiet a few others were missing.”

The plaque, which Keith described as a dark plaque with a trim, had the name ‘Bessie Mchugh’ written on it as well as September 1999, the time that she died.

Rochdale Online contacted Rochdale Cemetery about the issue but they are currently unaware of any plaques that are missing and said
“we haven’t received any reports”.

Keith and his family would like to see the plaque returned: “We want it back so we can get my father's name put on it as well. We don’t have anywhere to go to remember them now so it is important that we get it back."

Anyone who thinks that a plaque for one of their family members has been stolen should contact the cemetery directly to report the issue.