Thieves have added to a couple's heartache, by stealing from their baby's grave.

Born with multiple organ defects, Leah Churchill adored cuddly toys during her brief life.

Chris Churchill, 32, and his partner, Julie Hall, 28, placed a small pot teddy bear asleep on a pillow on their baby's grave, which they visited daily.

But on the one day the couple could not visit the grave at Redcar Lane Cemetery, in Redcar, east Cleveland, the thieves struck.

All the couple want is for the teddy bear to be returned, even if its replaced anonymously on the grave.

Mr Churchill said: "We are there every day. It just happened that we were decorating the house and did not go down for two days and that's when it has gone missing.

"When you put things on your daughter's grave you don't expect them to be stolen. You don't expect people to steal them.

"It happened on the 'babies-row' of graves. There are not that many of them.''

Leah was born with no oesophagus. She also had a heart and liver defect. She developed lung problems and died of kidney failure when she was only five-and-a-half months old.

The couple know there are problems with under-age drinking and gangs congregating in the cemetery.

Mr Churchill said: "Kids are kids. If they see something they like they will take it. Maybe it did not register it was a baby's. But we want it returned, even if it is anonymously.'