But looting cemeteries for old headstones and statues really is the lowest of the low.

The raids are being blamed on soaring demand in the far east for Victorian statues while the broken up gravestones are sold for paving stones in driveways.

It's a depressing sign of the times when not even someone's grave is sacred.

The trouble is that there's little that can be done to stop them.

Churches can't exactly post armed guards to keep watch round the clock.

But then why should they have to?

Every right-thinking member of society will feel sickened by this mercenary disregard for a fellow human being's final resting place.

One would hope even thieves would have a degree of respect and realise the distress they're causing the families of those whose gravestones they are stealing.

Even if they don't have a conscience you would hope potential buyers might.

We suggest the police could do far worse than pay a visit to local scrap dealers and stone masons.

If the outlets for the fruits of this shocking practice dried up then we're willing to bet the thieves would soon follow suit.

Dream work

LITTLE boys have lots of ideas of what they want to be when they grow up.

Usually they involve dreams of being a policeman, a train driver or in charge of a really big ship.

Incredibly, Paul Rowden has grown up to fulfil all three.

The Wetherby constable's main boyhood ambition was to work on the railways and he achieved it by qualifying as a driver on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

Now he is set to retire from the police force to take up a job at sea as head of security on an ocean liner.

It's boy's own stuff.

And just shows that those childhood dreams really can come true after all.

Title hopes

LAST weekend was a miserable one for rugby league in West Yorkshire.

First Leeds Rhinos fought valiantly but in vain to claw their way back to victory against Challenge Cup favourites St Helens.

Then Wakefield Wildcats finished agonisingly short of overhauling their semi-final opponents Hull.

Leeds are now left to concentrate on clinching the Super League title.

They're level on points with St Helens with five matches to go.

The injuries are stacking up but the belief within the Leeds camp is still strong.

One thing's for sure... after last weekend's defeat it would taste even sweeter.