Thieves have stolen a plaque from the grave of a soldier killed in Afghanistan to sell for scrap metal.

Corporal Darren Bonner died in a roadside bombing in May 2007 while serving with First Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment.

Hailed as a hero by fellow soldiers and family members, his ashes were buried at Enfield Crematorium. But despite pleas for greater security, the 31-year-old's brass memorial plaque has been stolen by scrap metal thieves, who also took personal mementos from the grave. Cpl Bonner's father, John Gardener, 52, of Enfield, said: "Darren lost his life protecting the living - there should be someone there protecting the dead. Without the plaque no one knows who he is, he's become an unknown soldier.

"It's the lowest of the low - to steal something off a grave to make money. It seems so heartless."

Graveyard plaques, church roofs and manhole covers have become common targets for thieves cashing in on record scrap metal prices.

Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Carver, commanding officer, First Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment, described the theft as "appalling".

Haringey council, which owns and runs the crematorium, said it had ordered a new plaque made of plastic to deter thieves.

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