A statue to help parents grieve the loss of a baby who has died has been stolen from a crematorium.

The statue, which was donated by the Stillbirth and Neo-natal Death Society (Sands), was taken between May 1 and May 4.

It cost around £10,000 and is a bronze depicting two young children dancing.

District Commander for Tunbridge Wells, Chief Inspector Dave Pate, said: "The theft of this statue is simply despicable and it clearly only adds to the distress of grieving parents.

"I would like to assure everyone that we are working very hard to find the culprits and we are pursuing a number of enquiries to establish why this was taken and for what purpose."

"The theft of this statue is simply despicable and it clearly only adds to the distress of grieving parents" - Chief Insp Dave Pate

He said it was possible the statue had been stolen for its artistic value, and police were circulating images of it around relevant markets.

He added: "Sadly, we have to also consider that the offenders may be looking to profit from selling this because of its metallic value.

"As part of our on-going enforcement activity to prevent metal theft we already make regular spot checks to scrap metal dealers operating in Kent and if anyone has taken possession of this statue I would advise them to contact us immediately before we find you."

Anyone with information should call 01892 502020, quoting YY/008849/14. Alternatively, contact Kent Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.