A family has been left dismayed after statues were stolen off a grave by ‘heartless’ thieves.

The family of Nathan Smith were left shocked after they realised heavy statues were snatched off the young man’s grave in Chalfont St Giles, who had muscular dystrophy and sadly died in 2015 at the age of 23.

Nathan’s cousin Warren Bromham took to social media to raise the alarm after they realised the shocking theft at Nathan's farm, where the impressive shrine sits surrounded by items that were dear to him such as a statue of Nathan’s pet dog.

Two bespoke metal deer were also stolen alongside a bronze tree.

Bucks Free Press: The stolen statues The stolen statues (Image: Warren Bromham)

Warren, from Chalfont St Giles, said: “They were on a grave, for Christ’s sake.

“Someone has just disappeared with them. They were bronze and very heavy. But someone has got them in their garden.

“Nathan started the farm when he was an entrepreneur and everything he did was on his own. He was very well-loved.

“There will always be a legacy there. Other children have been named after him. These were sentimental items of his.”

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The grave backs onto a field and although there are security cameras at Nathan’s farm where his mum now lives, the cameras are not facing the big shrine. 

Warren said they didn’t know exactly when the statues were snatched, saying it could have been anytime in the past six months before anyone noticed as the grave is packed with artwork and decorations and they used to have a market on a nearby field. 

Now the family has offered a £5,000 reward for the return of the precious items.

He said he wanted to give the thief a chance to return them anonymously or get in touch via the press. 

“On behalf of the Smith family, please contact the Bucks Free Press if you know anything,” he pleaded.

“The police are not really going to do much because it was on private land and we don’t have the exact dates. We just want to get the word out about the reward,” he added.

Nathan’s shrine was featured in a documentary called Flashy Funerals four years ago. The documentary visited the 95-acre farm, showing the construction of the tomb and how the shrine became a memorial as family and friends brought in items and flowers to honour his memory after the funeral.

The tomb, described as “the Rolls Royce” of graves in the documentary, was made with tiled walls and took 120 hours to complete. The marble headstone cost £30,000, Warren said. 

If you have any information about the statues, please get in touch with noora.mykkanen@newsquest.co.uk.