Grimsby Town fans 'appalled' by memorial theft

A Grimsby Town supporters' group says it is "utterly appalled and heartbroken" after the memorial garden at Blundell Park was vandalised.

The Mariners Trust said plants were removed and items, including a shirt and a scarf, were stolen from the garden in Cleethorpes.

Some of the stolen items had been left in memory of Alex Hughes, the club's head of recruitment, who died suddenly earlier this year.

A spokesperson for the Mariners Trust said: "To target a place dedicated to such deeply personal memories is a despicable and cowardly act that goes against everything our community and club stand for."

Chair of the trust, Wayne Brightmore, told Kofi Smiles on BBC Radio Humberside: "These [items] have been left there as a reminder and to show the respect to these people, and someone has come along and just taken it."

"I just think it's a bit disrespectful by somebody to do it and it's not really a great time to be doing things like that so close to Alex's passing."

Hughes, who joined the club in 2025, died in June at the age of 38 from sudden adult death syndrome.

Following the incident, the Mariners Trust posted a statement on social media. It said: "The Mariners Trust board is utterly appalled and heartbroken to learn of the recent vandalism and theft at the memorial garden at Blundell Park.

"Blundell Park is more than just a football stadium; it is a sacred sanctuary where we remember cherished family members, friends, and lifelong supporters who are no longer with us."

It added: "Our memorial garden is a place of peace, reflection, and immense significance to the Grimsby Town family.

"Seeing it violated in this way causes profound distress to the grieving families and loved ones affected, and it is something we condemn in the strongest possible terms."

Brightmore said the trust would look at putting some additional security measures in place and that it had not reported the incident to Humberside Police.

He encouraged anyone with information or doorbell footage to get in touch with the trust

The memorial garden outside Blundell Park opened in 2019.

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