Mandy Rossi points to where her parents' bench and plaque used to be

by Sam Lennon

A grieving brother and sister have struggled for 18 months to find out why their parents' memorial bench mysteriously disappeared.

The seating, with a plaque dedicated to Grace and Leo Rossi, was found to have permanantly vanished after the strengthening of the sea defences at Dymchurch.

The bench, placed by grown-up children Mandy and Tony Rossi, was first thought to have been moved with neighbouring ones to make way for the work.

But now, to the family's bafflement, officials have confirmed it had gone before the work began.

Mandy said: "This was the only place we had to pay our respects to our parents.

"This has been extremely upsetting to my family and has taken a long period of frustrating enquiries."

Grace and Leo Rossi's memorial bench at Dymchurch, when it was in place

The family had lived in Lower Sands, Dymchurch, while the children were growing up and the parents remained in the village until they died.

Dad Leo Rossi died in April 1998, of a stroke aged 83 and mum Grace Rossi died eight months later, aged 78, after a long illness ending in pneumonia.

The couple's remains were scattered at the seafront and they have no grave.

But because they had enjoyed walking along the Sea Wall, a memorial bench was placed for them near the Ocean Inn.

This was first done in the summer of 1998 after Mr Rossi died, with the commemorative plaque updated in January 1999 to include the name of his wife.

It was then regularly visited by Mandy, who lives in Ashford, and Tony, who now lives in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

Benches along the Sea Wall - between High Knocke and Martello Tower 23 - had been removed in 2008 for the start of the strengthening of the sea defences by the Environment Agency.

It was assumed the Rossi's seating was among the set placed in storage while the worked carried on.

But when the project was completed in spring 2011 the other benches were put back and the Rossis' remained missing.

Mandy said: "I assumed it would all be sorted once it was over. I just thought initially that the bench had been put in the wrong place and walked the length of the Sea Wall checking every bench to see if it had been replaced."

Mandy initially contacted Shepway District Council, who had originally arranged with the family for the seating to be placed.

She said she then contacted the Environment Agency, but explained: "They insisted that ours was never there."

Shepway council has now offered a free replacement bench, estimated at up to £400, and the family now have to get a new plaque.

Shepway District Council says photographs taken at the time of the removals in 2008 showed the Rossis' memorial was no longer there.

A council spokesman said: "We have been liaising with the Environment Agency and the family.

"We have been able to establish with the Environment Agency that the bench was not in place when work started on Dymchurch sea wall in 2008.

"We have no log of it being removed by our staff. It has taken a few weeks to establish these facts but we are happy to be able to offer the family a new bench at no charge."