- Plaque honoured Tim Parry, 12, and Johnathan Ball, 3, killed in 1993 blast
- It was stolen between April 20 and May 5.
- Cheshire Police confirm plaque has been recovered and 57-year-old man arrested on suspicion of theft
By Ian Garland
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Police have recovered a stolen memorial to two children murdered in the IRA bomb attack on Warrington and arrested a man in connection with its theft.
The plaque was erected in memory of Tim Parry, 12 and three-year-old Johnathan Ball, who were killed by bombs placed in litter bins by members of the IRA in March 1993.
A month after it was discovered missing, Cheshire Police have confirmed a 57-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of theft and the missing plaque has been recovered.
CCTV shows a man near the plaque. At the time of the mans arrest, it was recovered in its original state
CCTV footage shows a man talking with friends. A man has been arrested Warrington in connection with the theft of a memorial plaque commemorating the lives of two boys
Father's anguish: Colin Parry and his son on holiday, a year before Tim was killed at the age of 12. The plaque (right) put up in memory of Tim and the other victim Johnathan Ball, 3, has been stolen by scrap metal thieves
Officers were helped in their investigation by CCTV footage of the theft and that they are still searching for further suspects.
Richard Strachan, Chief Superintendent for Warrington and Halton, said: 'This investigation is progressing successfully and I would like to thank the communities of Warrington for their assistance, and acknowledge the continued support from Warrington Borough Council, particularly the work of town centre CCTV oper atives in advancing our enquiries.
'I would urge anyone who recognises the men captured in these CCTV images to contact us as soon as possible.'
It's thought the A3 plaque was stolen to be sold as scrap for as little as £30. It is the latest in a series of abhorrent thefts of memorials by criminals exploiting the soaring value of scrap metal
War memorials, lead from church roofs and cables from railway lines have been targeted. Each year, at least 15,000 tons of the 13million tons of metal sent for scrap is believed to be stolen, worth an estimated of £800million.
And it's the second time Warrington memorials have been targetted.
Just last month Lithuanian Spartakas Grachauskas, 25,was jailed for 18 weeks after he was caught red handed trying to steal another plaque commemorating the Tim Parry, Johnathan Ball and the 54 people hurt in the IRA attack.
The Warrington bombings consisted of two separate attacks â€" the first in February 1993 at a gas storage facility and the second the following month in the centre of the Cheshire town.
In the second attack, The Samaritans received a coded message wrongly stating a bomb would be detonated in Liverpool.
In the event, there were two blasts, in litter bins outside Boots and Argos, within a minute of each other causing carnage and confusion.
Johnathan Ball was killed almost instantly and Tim Parry was so badly injured his parents later had to take the agonising decision to turn off his life support machine.
More than 50 other victims were injured, w ith many suffering serious shrapnel wounds and cuts and lacerations from flying glass.
Bombing victims: Johnathan Ball, aged three, and Tim Parry, 12, who were killed in the blast in Warrington in 1993
The bronze plaque was put up in 1996 alongside a water feature in part designed by local schoolchildren.
Speaking after it was discovered missing, Tim Parry's father Colin, 65, said of the thieves: ‘Even if they are really hard up it is without any justification.
‘It really upsets me that they have disfigured something which symbolises a horror which took place in our town and has been worked on by many local youngsters.
‘It leaves an awful taste in my mouth that they must have snuck in, in the middle of the night and just taken it without any regard for the people that suffered. They did not give a moments thought to the significance of what they had just stolen. It is despicable.’
His wife Wendy, 54, said: ‘It’s really sad to think that anyone would even think about stealing or defacing a memorial of any kind. Tim and Johnathan had so much to live for and I wonder whether the person who stole the plaque ever gave them and the 56 other people injured a second thought.
‘It is a sign of the times, I suppose, but there are other ways to make money without hurting those who had the misfortune to be caught up in that dreadful day.’
The bombings triggered a campaign for peace, with Mr and Mrs Parry â€" who have two other children â€" working tirelessly to promote greater understanding between Britain and Ireland.
They set up a Peace Centre in the town and played an active role in the Peace Process in Northern Ireland, for which Mr Parry was given his OBE in 2004.
Tragically, the parents of Johnathan Ball never recovered from the death of their son and they split up shortly after the bomb blast. Johnathan’s father, Wilf Ball, 69, died from a suspected heart attack in 2004 and his body lay undiscovered for two days.
The boy’s mother, Marie Comerford suffered a fatal heart attack on the 16th anniversary of her son’s murder with the coroner saying she died of a broken heart.
Stolen: This is where the bronze memorial plaque which paid tribute to the two boys killed in the IRA blast was placed. Police are today hunting for the people who took it
The bronze plaque, which depicts the course of the River Mersey as it flows through the Borough of Warrington, reads: ‘The central water feature is in part a memorial to two local children who died following the terrorist bomb explosion in Bridge Street in 1993. Young people helped the artist with the design work.’
Helen Jones, Labour MP for Warrington North, said: ‘This is a callous theft which shows no regard for the families involved or for other Warrington people who were injured in the bombing.
‘Warrington is very proud of the way it conducted itself after the bombings and the way it didn’t turn to hatred and instead worked constructively for peace. But these thieves have trashed the reputation of the town and ought to be ashamed of themselves.’
David Mowat, Conservative MP for Warrington South, said: ‘I am utterly disgusted by how low these mindless vandals have stooped.’
Liz Antrobus was 22 when she and her 29 year-old fiance Gordon Edwards were blown into the air by the blast of the second bomb.
They suffered horrendous injuries and spent months in hospital but were married in 1994 in a ceremony attended by bomb victim Tim Parry’s mother, Wendy.
Blast: The scene is cordoned off after two litter bins exploded outside a Boots store and a McDonalds
Memorial: This River of Life runs down Bridge Street, Warrington, in honour of the two boys killed in the 1993 IRA bomb blast
Campaigner: Colin Parry, father of Warrington bomb victim Tim Parry, with former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Dr John Reid. He is pictured at a peace centre in Warrington he set-up after his son's death
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