Denise Ferguson, James Bulger’s mum, said she was “disgusted”
Ben Griffiths, Annette Belcher and Phil Cardy Senior Reporter
21:06, 10 Apr 2026Updated 21:51, 10 Apr 2026
James Bulger’s grave smashed for second time
James Bulger’s mum Denise Fergus has spoken of her “devastation and disgust” after his grave was vandalised for the second time in six weeks.
Denise, whose two-year-old son was kidnapped and killed in 1993, had his resting place repaired after an attack in February, and the heads of two cherubs had to be replaced. But they have since been vandalised again, and the cherubs’ heads were “scythed off”, she said.
She praised an “Army of Heroes” who raised more than £20,000 to repair the tot’s resting place. But at lunchtime today she discovered “evil” vandals had once again scythed the heads of the treasured cherubs at the Merseyside grave site, The Mirror reports.
Merseyside Police renewed its search for the thugs and was hunting the heads of the marble statues – placed either side of James’s headstone – which are yet to be found.
James Bulger(Image: PA)
Speaking to The Mirror, Denise said: “I am absolutely disgusted that James’ grave has been demolished and devastated again. It has broken our hearts. My heart sank when I found out about it this morning.
“The cherubs that we had got repaired with great care just a few weeks ago, have once again had their heads scythed off. How evil do you need to be to vandalise and destroy a child’s grave. I am devastated. We must find this person. We have informed the police. We urge anyone with details to come forward.”
Katie McCreath, Director of KMC Legal & Finance who is part of Denise’s legal team added: “We are deeply saddened and angered to confirm that the headstone of James Bulger has once again been subjected to vandalism.
“This marks the second incident of its kind, and it is both distressing and unacceptable. Denise is understandably devastated. For any parent, a gravesite is a place of reflection, peace, and remembrance.
“To have that space violated not once, but repeatedly, is something no family should have to endure. The impact of this goes far beyond damage to property. It is a deeply personal and emotional violation.
“The family are struggling to comprehend how this has been allowed to happen again. There is a real sense of disbelief that such cruelty continues, decades on.”
Denise Fergus(Image: CHRIS NEILL)
She added: “We can confirm that the police have been informed and are dealing with the matter. We will continue to support the family fully during this time and will be liaising with the relevant authorities as the investigation progresses.”
Vile vandals first targeted the grave in February when they hit the tots’ resting place and destroyed two cherubs on the headstone. At the time, Merseyside Police said it received a report that two large marble angels on either side of his headstone were damaged at 4.20pm on February 26 at Kirkdale Cemetery. A smaller angel was put in a bin and a teddy was stolen, it added.
The attack touched so many that a GoFundMe page, set up by supporters, raised more than £23,000 – allowing her to not only temporarily repair the grave, but eventually replace it and make it more secure in the future.
She said last month: “What happened in February to James’ grave left us in bits, it was so upsetting. The minute I saw what the vandals had done to my private spot for James, I just burst into tears. The cherubs had been with us for more than 30 years – far longer than I was able to have with James. But an army of online heroes have saved us and made us feel so supported.”
After the original £13,000 target was smashed, Denise said: “It means we can leave another real legacy for James. I can’t thank people enough. We have now repaired the destroyed cherubs which allowed us to go to James’ grave on his birthday on March 16 and not feel totally devastated by the damage they caused.
“However, because the cherubs were 30 years old I could see the repair, even though they had been put together brilliantly. The money raised now means that in time we can fully repair the damage, get two, new, white marble cherubs installed, which will forever remind us of people’s love for James.”
Toddler James was tortured and killed by then-10-year-olds Jon Venables and Robert Thompson in February 1993. In the wake of his death, Denise and husband Stuart set up the James Bulger Memorial Trust, to support other families going through hardships.
One of their initiatives is a holiday lodge near Blackpool, which gives families who need it a getaway. They said excess donations of the £23,000 donated would go towards supporting the upkeep of it.