HEARTLESS thieves are targeting a 75-year-old Stevenston man’s memorial to his late wife who died from cancer.

Donald Meldrum lost his wife Jan to the disease last April and created a memorial on the sand dunes on Stevenston beach, where the couple often walked their dog.

Just a few months after his wife’s death Donald’s dog, Tali, also passed away.

The 75-year-old picked every brick, slate and stone and with great effort made a beautiful wall structure surrounded by plants and hand painted tree trunks where his wife’s ashes are located.

However, the memorial for his wife and dog is now being targeted by cruel thieves who have repeatedly dug up and stolen plants and flowers from the site, with Donald having to fork out over £150 to replace them.

He told the Herald: “I built the memorial for my wife at the beach as that is where we used to walk the dog together.

“Nine times the plants and flowers have been stolen and dug up and I keep replacing them only for it to happen again.

“It breaks my heart what is happening. It is obvious that it is a memorial but how someone can do this is beyond me.”

Donald visits the memorial daily, come rain or shine, so he can be close to his wife.

Despite the heartless actions of some, he has vowed that he won’t be beaten.

The 75-year-old also says the loss of his dog so soon after his wife’s death has added to his pain, adding: “It has been a very difficult year. Jan died of cancer and she had been in pain and was suffering for two years.

“At the funeral only seven people could attend and it was so surreal. There was no reception and it was a horrible time.

“She wanted her ashes spread at the shore and I had been putting it off and then four months later my dog, Tali, passed away so both of their ashes are there.

“I did not realise how much the dog meant to me. I used to go to Stevenston beach at 8am and meet the same people and it gave me a purpose in life after Jan died and then Tali suddenly passed away. I felt I did not deserve that.

“I have good memories of the beach with Jan and we would walk along there and sit on the benches and look towards the beautiful views of Arran.

“Every day I go to the memorial no matter what the weather is.

“I have no words to describe the person that is doing this.

“There are so many nice people who ask about the memorial and they are shocked that someone would dig up and steal plants.

“I will not let whoever is behind this beat me.”