Police probe as soldier memorial stolen (From Western Telegraph)

Police probe as soldier memorial stolen

8:50am Sunday 28th October 2012 in News

Thieves have stolen a memorial to a soldier who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Gunner Andrew Hirst – who was known as Rocket – died tragically in 2009 after he came into contact with a car on the Penally bypass, near Tenby.

The 22-year-old had been with his regiment on a training week in Penally Camp.

At the end of August this year, Andrew’s family put a wooden planter alongside the bypass.

But when Army colleagues from 3/2 Regiment went to pay their respects last week while back at the camp, they found it was missing.

The planter bears a brass plaque inscribed ‘Gnr Andrew Hirst.

Never forgotten. 6/3/87 - 8/8/2009’.

A police spokesman said that checks had been made with the Highways Agency and other agencies in case they had removed the memorial, but this was not the case.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of the planter should contact Tenby police station on 101 or Crimestoppers.