Grave robbers stole stuffed toys from the headstone of a baby who died aged just 15 days.

Since Lily Isted's death in April last year, her parents have lovingly tended their baby's grave at Portslade Cemetery in Victoria Road, Portslade.

They left six Beanie Baby stuffed toys beside the headstone in June as a reminder of the few things Lily was able to treasure in her short life.

But on a visit to the memorial last week her mother Louise discovered the toys had been taken.

Her father Jason of Chichester Close, Hangleton said: "It is just sickening. I don't know how people could do this."

Security officer Jason, 27 and his ex-wife Louise, who have a two-year-old daughter Tiegan, have put up notices around the cemetery in the hope the toys can be recovered.

Jason said: "Louise went down to see the grave and noticed the toys were missing.

"We often put flowers on the grave that people send and we take the toys home and wash them every so often.

"Lily had similar cuddly toys when she was alive. I know these Beanie Babies are quite popular but I never imagined anyone would go that far to get one.

"I just hope they read the notices and feel guilty enough to return what they stole."

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council, which runs the cemetery, said such thefts were very hard to stop because access to the cemetery was made deliberately easy during the day and the gates were only locked at night.

He said: "We are obviously always very saddened when we hear of this type of thing. The cemetery is a public place that is open every day and, as such, we cannot really stop it happening.

"It is possible that foxes or other animals took the toys but it is more likely that it was a theft. It is a great shame."

Report by Sam Thomson, sam.thomson@theargus.co.uk