THIEVES have stolen a bird bath from the garden of a local day hospice. The item was donated to Grove House in St Albans last year by Maria Mauro and Jenny Lowen to express their thanks to the hospice for the care it provided while they were undergoing tr

THIEVES have stolen a bird bath from the garden of a local day hospice.

The item was donated to Grove House in St Albans last year by Maria Mauro and Jenny Lowen to express their thanks to the hospice for the care it provided while they were undergoing treatment for cancer.

Maria, aged 50, from St Albans, used the hospice in 2006 while being treated for ovarian cancer and she became friends with Jenny, aged 56 from Harpenden, who was suffering from breast cancer at the same time.

Upon leaving Grove House the friends decided to buy the bird bath, which cost around £60, for the enjoyment of others visiting the hospice.

Maria described Grove House as "a place of sanctuary" and said: "We spent many weeks in the gardens while undergoing chemotherapy and it gave us a lot of pleasure so when it came to buying a gift for Grove House we thought immediately of something for the garden."

Maria was stunned to discover that the bird bath had been stolen sometime during last Wednesday night.

She said: "I just think it is disgusting that anyone would want to steal anything from the gardens of a hospice -- a hospice that works so hard for people in the community."

Anyone with information about the theft should contact Det Sgt Laura Randall on 0845 3300 222.