Plaque to Warrington bomb dead children stolen

Thieves have stolen a metal plaque erected in memory of two young boys who were killed when an IRA bomb went off in Warrington in Cheshire.

Tim Parry who was 12 and Jonathan Ball, who was just three, died in 1993 when two bombs went off in the town centre injuring 54 people in total.

PC Graham Davies, of Cheshire Police, said the plaque and memorial were of "great significance to the town".

The plaque is thought to have a scrap metal value of no more than £30.

PC Davies added: " "We do not know exactly when the plaque was taken but would appeal to anyone who has any information in relation to the theft to come forward."

He said it was "upsetting" for people in the town to discover the plaque had been stolen.

"We would urge anyone who knows the identity of the thief - or the whereabouts of the plaque - to contact us immediately.

"We would also appeal to anyone who may have been offered the plaque for sale to get in touch," he said.

The two bombs exploded within a minute of each other on 20 March, 1993.

The first went off outside a Boots store and the second outside a McDonalds in an area crowded with shoppers.

The bombing caused widespread public disgust and later led to Tim Parry's father Colin creating a trust fund to promote greater understanding between Britain and Ireland.