Thieves target singer's 'memorial'

12:03am Friday 4th July 2008

Thieves have stolen Joy Division singer Ian Curtis's memorial kerbstone, police said.

The theft occurred between Monday lunch time and Tuesday morning at Macclesfield Cemetery on Prestbury Road in Cheshire.

Police have urged anyone with information to contact them.

Inspector Gareth Woods, of Cheshire Police, described the theft of the iconic singer's kerbstone as "very unusual".

"We would hope someone locally would have knowledge about who is responsible or where the memorial stone is at present," he said.

"I would appeal to anyone with such information to contact Cheshire Police."

The father-of-one hanged himself when he was just 23.

Many biographies have been written about the "Love Will Tear Us Apart" singer with several films of his life created - including last year's acclaimed Control starring Sam Riley and Samantha Morton, who played his wife Deborah.

A spokesman confirmed she had been told of the theft from the site which, he said, is visited by thousands of fans from around the world each year.

Tony Barker, spokesman for Macclesfield Borough Council, which runs the site, said: "It is a kerbstone, not a headstone, and it isn't especially deep. Just big enough to bear the epitaph Love Will Tear Us Apart."

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