THE mum of a toddler who drowned in a swimming pool during a family holiday today slammed thieves after they took gifts from her grave.

Linda Wright has visited the resting place of her only daughter Kirsty at Pleasington Cemetery since her funeral in October. Kirsty drowned in the pool while on a holiday in Greece.

Today Blackburn with Darwen Council said it was aware of the "sickening" thefts and said it was doing its best to combat the problem.

And a spokesman for the East Lancashire branch of the Cruse Bereavement Service said grave attacks it could put the healing process back by months.

Linda, of Pilmuir Road, often leaves flowers and gifts for Kirsty -- who would have celebrated her third birthday yesterday -- and was left sickened after the grave was vandalised and the presents were stolen.

Linda, who has two sons Matthew, nine, William 13, said: "I left her some bubble bath in the shape of Bella, her favourite Tweenie doll, and when I went the next day somebody had ripped it apart.

"It is disgraceful and so upsetting. I can't believe someone would do things like this to a child's grave.

"I go up there every day. I put flowers on her grave from me and the boys for her birthday yesterday, and I will put something on for Christmas.

"I won't let these thieves stop me from getting gifts for Kirsty."

The incident follows several other cases of graves being vandalised and targeted by thieves in Blackburn and Darwen.

Tom Wilson, head of outdoor amenities at Blackburn with Darwen Council said: "We are sickened by acts of this nature taking place in our cemeteries and send our sincere sympathy to relatives of Kirsty Wright.

"We have done our best to stop this sort of thing happening and we have asked cemetery staff to be extra vigilant during the dark winter months.

"The fact that we are unable to provide round-the-clock policing in parks and cemeteries adds to the problem and we urge members of the public to contact either the police or ourselves if they see anybody carrying out these mindless acts."

A spokesman for bereavement service Cruse said: "A lot of people need to visit graves of loved ones, especially children, to help them in the bereavement process and leaving gifts is their way of expressing their grief for the ones they have lost.

"It's hard enough to deal with the bereavement of a child and this is a sickening thing to do.

"It is hard to find words to describe the sort of people who can do things like this."

An inquest into Kirsty's death decided she drowned.

Holiday firm Airtours investigated Kirsty's death on the island of Kos and said it was satisfied what had happened was a tragic accident.