THE wife of Melvin Wood, the well-known North Berwick hairdresser who died last year, has expressed her sadness after a flower bouquet disappeared from his grave between Christmas and New Year.

Melvin died on September 20 after succumbing to heart failure while on holiday in Tenerife aged 62.

His daughter, 21-year-old Hannah, who works as an accident and emergency nurse in Glasgow, bought the winter-themed bouquet and placed it on his grave in the cemetery at Athelstaneford on Christmas Eve.

His wife Lorna, who lives near Gilmerton House and visits Melvin’s grave regularly, told the Courier: “My daughter visited the cemetery to place the bouquet and I’d placed a wreath which I bought for him beforehand.

“Melvin loved Christmas and decorations so we put something there to give him some nice Christmas surroundings.

“I went back on December 28 and it was still there but when I went back on January 2 it was gone, the vase and wreath were still there but the flowers weren’t.

“I looked everywhere and even asked a member of staff but couldn’t find it. I think someone has stolen it.”

She added: “I’m really shocked because I just can’t understand why someone would do something like this.

“The whole thing is very untoward, absolutely disgusting, and has made me quite upset. It’s quite obvious it’s at a grave so I don’t know why someone would take it.

“I thought it might have been an animal or that someone had moved it to a different grave, so I looked around each grave but they all still had their flower decorations.”

Lorna added: “Hannah is just really hurt and upset.

“She is only 21, she’s just lost her dad and wants to put something on his grave to honour him.”

The pair hope the person responsible “feels ashamed” and returns the bouquet.