Overview
- Police were called to Kirkdale Cemetery over damage to James Bulger’s grave and other headstones on April 10, 2026, and arrested a 78-year-old man from Lancashire on suspicion of criminal damage and theft.
- Detectives established that several graves in the cemetery had been targeted and that ornaments had been taken from multiple headstones.
- Officers recovered the stolen ornaments during the inquiry and have returned them to the families affected.
- Merseyside Police announced on June 18, 2026, that their investigation is complete and that the arrested man has been detained under Section 3 of the Mental Health Act and admitted to a mental health hospital for care and treatment.
- The vandalism has caused deep distress to James Bulger’s family and the local community while police ask anyone with information to contact them quoting crime reference 26000282253.