Staff 'devastated' after thieves steal memorial benches at Leeds care home

Staff at a care home in Leeds say they have been left “devastated” after callous thieves stole two memorial benches dedicated to a much-loved carer and the late wife of a 102-year-old D-Day veteran.

The wooden benches were taken from outside Oak Tree Lodge in Gipton during the week beginning April 6, despite being chained in place at the entrance to the home.

Victoria Gudgin, manager at Oak Tree Lodge, said: “One of them was for one of our staff members, Angie Butler. She died unexpectedly, which left a lot of trauma with the staff. She’d worked here for 10 plus years, and she was just about to retire.”

Angie was “absolutely dedicated to the residents”, she added, running bingo night every day and even bringing her own gifts for prizes.

“The staff had all clubbed together to get this bench,” Victoria said. “We got a plaque on it, and it was at the front of our care home… It was just really heartbreaking that that bench was taken.”

The second stolen bench was bought by Jack Mortimer, a resident at the home who is believed to be one of the last surviving D-Day veterans in Yorkshire, in memory of his wife, who had lived at Oak Tree Lodge.

“We haven’t told him [of the theft],” Victoria said. “The plan was we’d fundraise and get a like‑for‑like replacement before he notices, because we just don’t want to put him through that at 102.”

She described the theft as “disgusting” and “shocking”: “The benches were chained, so someone had planned to come in the middle of the night and cut the chains and steal these benches.”

Staff have now launched an online appeal to raise money for like-for-like replacements, with any extra funds to go towards a further memorial bench for another colleague who died last year.

The care home hopes to move the new benches into a secure garden to protect them in the future.

You can find Oak Tree Lodge’s GoFundMe campaign here.