A woman has called for security cameras at a cemetery after flowers and mementoes were stolen from her husband's grave.

Pamela Jiggins regularly visits the graves of her husband and mother at Downs Crematorium in Woodingdean, Brighton.

Mrs Jiggins, 49, was devastated by their deaths but now a spate of thefts has added to her grief.

Among the items she says have been stolen are flowers and two valuable urns she had placed on her husband's grave.

Mrs Jiggins, of Hove, said: "It's just disgusting, what is happening there. It's not just my husband and mother's graves - things are being stolen from other graves too.

"Flowers and soft toys have even been taken from children's graves. It's despicable.

"I have asked for CCTV cameras, but they won't put them up. They say there is not enough money. But we pay a lot of money to bury our loved ones here. They must be able to find the money."

Mrs Jiggins said she had been dreading her first Christmas since husband Billy died but the theft of the urns had made it even harder to bear.

She said: "It's very important for me to be able to tend his grave. When you go every week, sometimes every day, and things are being taken, it's very upsetting."

Doreen Reynolds, speaking on behalf of Downs Crematorium manager Nigel Emberson, said thefts were regrettable but hard to prevent.

She said: "Even if a guard were to constantly walk around the grounds it would be impossible to prevent that sort of thing because he could only patrol one area at a time.

"It's too vast even for CCTV to work effectively, and that would cost a fortune.

"Unfortunately these problems occur more often at this time of year because people lay special tributes."