A grieving mother has issued an emotional appeal for vandals to leave her son’s grave alone after it was trashed five times.

Heartbroken Sherri Nichols was advised to terminate her pregnancy at 20 weeks in March after doctors said Jamie, who had a rare bladder condition, would only survive a few hours.

The 27-year-old, of Ritch Road, Snodland, buried Jamie at Snodland Cemetery just over a month later.

Over the past eight weeks, his tiny grave at Snodland Cemetery has been repeatedly targeted by thieves, with flowers ripped up and teddy bears stolen.

The fifth incident – the theft of one of two teddy bears – happened on Tuesday.

“I just want people to leave him alone,” Mrs Nichols said. “We have been through more heartache in the last six months than most people go through in a lifetime.”

The most recent incident happened on Tuesday, when a teddy bear was taken.

She said: “I can’t take my seven-year-old son Leon up there anymore in case he sees the damage and gets upset.”

She added: “I have no idea who is targeting Jamie’s grave or why they are doing it. No other plots in the cemetery have been vandalised. His head stone was bought with money raised through a collection by friends and is going up before Christmas. I just don’t want anything to happen to it.

“If anyone knows anything please get in touch with the police.”

She said she reported four of the incidents to police but was told they could only treat it as theft, adding no one at the cemetery had seen anything and while there was CCTV it didn’t cover Jamie’s grave.

Councillor Anne Moloney, chairman of Snodland Town Council which looks after the site, confirmed there had been no separate incident's at the cemetery.

A police spokesman confirmed the first four incidents – between June 12 and July 31 – had been reported.

Insp Mark Hutcheon said: “This is a terrible crime and our sympathies are with the family affected. We have PCSOs who regularly patrol Snodland and the surrounding areas and they have been made aware of these incidents.

“I would urge anyone with information to call 101 quoting reference YY/015141/15.

“Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.”