Shrewsbury's famous 'Scrooge gravestone' smashed by vandals 'starts its repair journey'

The landmark visitor attraction was smashed to pieces over the weekend in a mindless act which has shocked people across the town, and further afield.

Now, Shrewsbury Town Council's clerk, Helen Ball, has offered an update on plans to restore the stone.

She confirmed that Midland Masonry will be taking on the task, adding that the council had been 'overwhelmed' at the level of interest following the shocking incident.

Writing on social media she said: "I am delighted to report that Scrooge's gravestone will start its repair journey today.

"Midland Masonry who look after a lot of Shrewsbury Town Council structures will be doing the work and help to preserve it for the future.

"We have been overwhelmed by the level of interest in Scrooge's headstone with local, national and international interest.

"I am thankful to the Lichfield Diocese for fast-tracking my faculty request and grateful thanks to the Archdeacon and Revd Sam Mann at St Chad's."

Police yesterday said they had narrowed down a timeframe in the hunt for those responsible for the vandalism of the stone, which was used as a prop in the 1984 film version of 'A Christmas Carol'.

PC Jono Lightfoot, one of the officers investigating the “mindless” vandalism, has said information from the public had helped narrow down a time when the offence is believed to have happened.

“I am appealing for witnesses after the grave of Ebenezer Scrooge in Shrewsbury was destroyed,” he said.

“The vandalism is believed to have happened on Saturday evening (November 23) where the headstone belonging to the fictional character has been broken.

“The grave, which is located at St Chad’s Church in Claremont Hill, was used as a prop in 1980s film A Christmas Carol.

“Once filming was completed the inscribed stone used as Ebenezer Scrooge’s grave remained in the church grounds and has since become a popular tourist attraction within the town.

“After some new helpful information we are now able to narrow down the timeframe. We can now make a fresh appeal to anyone who was in the area between the hours of 6.30pm and 11.50pm on Saturday and witnessed any unusual behaviour, please get in touch as it may help with our enquiries.

“You can contact me by emailing on jono.lightfoot@westmercia.police.uk quoting incident number 288i of November 24, 2024.

“Alternatively, if you have information but don’t feel comfortable speaking to police, you can speak to the independent charity Crimestoppers. It is 100 per cent anonymous, they never ask your name, and they cannot trace your call or IP address. You can contact them online or by calling 0800 555 111.”