A son has spoken of his relief after thieves returned his mum's stolen ashes. Isobel Calderwood's family when heartbroken when the crooks took the urn, possibly mistaking it for a bottle of whisky.
But hours after an appeal in the Daily Record the family were amazed to see the blue urn, along with other items, placed outside their home. But while grateful for their return, son Gari labelled the theft as "disgusting", the newspaper reports.
The newspaper had told how the mum's remains were stolen from her son Stephen Burgess' flat in Paisley during a break-in between January 30 and February 1. He had been evacuated from his home following a fire in a neighbouring property and had temporarily moved in with a friend.
His mother's ashes had been on a shelf in the living room where Stephen had built a 'shrine' in her memory following her sudden death in July 2021. Her family thought the thieves had mistaken the urn for an expensive bottle of whisky.
But now her son and Stephen's brother, Gari, 33, has told of their "relief" following the return of the ashes. But he warned they could take the evidence to police.
He told the Record: "My brother went to have a wee look around his flat and there was the urn sitting perfectly placed at the back door, along with some other items that don't belong to us but we're guessing have been stolen too. I think they must have seen the article as it's funny how it was literally the day after it was published that the urn was returned.
"It's definitely a huge relief we have her back, we did not think we would see the ashes again. We had just come to terms with the fact that the ashes were gone so it was a shock.
"It's still a disgusting thing to do even if they've brought it back. It's not something a normal person would do."
Subscribe here for the latest news where you live
Although Isobel's remains have been returned, her urn has been damaged. It looks as though the thieves had broken into the cylinder to see what was inside.
The culprits may have also made another vital mistake. "There are two finger prints inside the cylinder so my brother is going to be reporting this to the police," Gari added.
A Police Scotland spokesperson previously said: "Officers are investigating a report of a housebreaking on Ferguslie, Paisley, which is thought to have happened between Monday, January 30, and Wednesday, February 1, 2023. Enquiries are ongoing."
