A Rangers-daft family are celebrating after a thief who stole a treasured plaque from a graveside had a change of heart.
Jayne Cockburn, 38, was left devastated after discovering the memorial stone dedicated to her late father Ian had been taken from his grave at Tranent Cemetery in East Lothian in February this year. The plaque features the Ibrox club's badge along with the words 'Simply The Best'.
Jayne, from Hawick in the Scottish Borders, said she and relatives had been left "sad and angry" at the cruel theft - but they've now been left stunned after discovering the stolen memento was returned to the spot where it was taken from last week. And the thief has not only brought the plaque back - but they have fixed damage the stone suffered before it was stolen.
Jayne said: "I've no idea when it was returned. My dad's cousin was in the cemetery at another family member's grave and noticed it was there. The plaque was actually broken in half when taken. It's now returned fixed and fixed onto a slab.
"We are going down to get it cemented into the ground so it can't be taken again. Maybe someone has taken it and fixed it for themselves then realised it's [the story] is all over the papers so decided to return it - or it has been taken and fixed then returned as a good gesture to us. We are just so happy it's back though. We never thought we would ever see it again."
Jayne said her Rangers supporting dad Ian lived in Hawick but spent much of his time in East Lothian where his parents had lived. She said he wished to be buried at Tranent Cemetery next to his son, also named Ian, who died when he was young.
Ian, 71, passed away following a heart attack in June 2018 and regularly attended Rangers matches with his son John who organised the plaque following his father's death. Jayne added: "The Rangers plaque was laid by my brother. The connection with Rangers is purely a father and son bond who share an interest in the football club and team.
"They attended games together in dad's better and healthier years and had a bond over football. My brother was particularly upset about it just vanishing into thin air."
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