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Men held on grave theft
Oct 14 2004
Black Country man was today arrested by detectives investigating the theft of an 82-year-old woman's body from a graveyard.
Two suspects were detained at addresses in Wolverhampton and Coventry at around 6.30am by officers probing the desecration of the grave of Gladys Hammond in Yoxall, Staffordshire.
Officers believe that animal rights extremists may be responsible for digging up the remains of the pensioner, whose son-in-law helps to run a farm breeding guinea pigs for medical research.
A police spokesman said: "In an operation between Staffordshire Police and West Midlands Police this morning, officers have arrested two men.
"Warrants were executed in Wolverhampton and Coventry, resulting in the arrest of a 41-year-old man in Coventry and a 34-year-old man in Wolverhampton.
"The men were taken to police stations in Stafford-shire, where they will be interviewed.
"Officers are currently conducting searches and forensic tests at the addresses."
Mrs Hammond's body was removed from her burial plot in St Peter's Church, Yoxall, last week.
It is thought that at least two offenders were involved in digging up the grave of Mrs Hammond, whose family have repeat-edly been targeted by animal rights extremists.
Mrs Hammond, who died in 1997, was the mother-in-law of Chris Hall, one of two brothers who run Darley Oaks Farm, in Newchurch, Staffordshire.
The Hall family have been subjected to a long running campaign by animal rights activists, suffering hate mail, malicious phone calls, hoax bombs, a paedophile smear campaign and arson attacks.
