Metal merchant’s got a heart of gold

AN ANONYMOUS metal merchant has come to the rescue of a heartbroken family after thieves swiped memorial plaques from a grave.

Mum-of-two Angela Warburton was stunned to find engraved bronze plaques, costing £189 each, had been unscrewed from her mum Carol and dad Geoff’s headstone at Hollinwood Crematorium.

But after reading the story in last Thursday’s Oldham Chronicle, the kind-hearted man contacted Angela through the police and offered to replace them himself.

Angela (41) from Springhead last week laid into scrap metal merchants who may have bought the plaques from the thieves at an estimated scrap value of only £4.

She said: “I was crying when he called, I couldn’t believe someone would do that for us.

“He said that he didn’t want to be named but that he was absolutely disgusted after reading in the paper what had happened.

“He wanted to show us that not all metal merchants were the same.

“I still can’t believe someone would be that nice.

“It’s certainly restored my faith in people.”

Now Angela, her two sisters and brother, will be able to see their parents’ grave restored to its former glory.