A MOTHER has urged thieves to stop stealing flowers from her son's grave.

Dominic Begg died aged 21 after a car crash on the M62 in 2011 and mum Julie has paid weekly visits to his memorial at Overdale Crematorium ever since.

The 53-year-old has been left horrified to discover the flowers missing on about 12 visits since the start of the year.

Ms Begg, from Breightmet, has even offered to give flowers to anyone who cannot afford to buy them if it meant the thefts ended.

She said: "I don't put anything else there such as ornaments because I am afraid they will just be stolen.

"I go every week on a Sunday without fail as he is my son and I want to visit him.

"We can't do much for him now but I like to keep his stone clean and put flowers down to show that we care.

"For somebody to keep coming and taking the flowers is not fair on us. To me it goes against everything to steal from a graveyard or crematorium. You don't even mess about in a graveyard, and I'm always careful about where I stand. So for someone to go this far is unbelievable."

Dominic's stepfather, Vincent Horton, aged 46, said: "It is a bit of a gut-wrench. It's like something else is being taken off you.

"It is not losing him all over again, but it hurts as this is all we can do for him now.

"They are just coming along and taking them with no regard. It is like taking a bit of him away and it is horrible."

Dominic was killed on the westbound carriageway of the M62 in February, 2011, after his Renault Clio collided with a lamppost on a slip road.

He was an 'outgoing, popular' Bolton Wanderers fan, who was a devoted son and brother to Stacey, according to his family.

A keen runner, Dominic had also been a member of the Air Training Corps in his youth.

Ms Begg added: "If someone was up there and could not afford to put flowers down, I would give them some. But to take them, even though they will know deep down the anguish it will cause, is morally wrong.

"Dominic was quite a laid back person so he would probably feel the same as me. Not anger, but just a request that this stops."

A spokesman for the crematorium said: “We understand how upsetting this can be and we would encourage anyone who has experience of flowers being taken from memorials at Overdale to get in touch with the Crematorium Office on 01204 334499. We can assure residents that issues like this are taken very seriously and we will do whatever we can to help.”