A 78-year-old man from Kirkby has been arrested by Merseyside Police on suspicion of criminal damage and theft following vandalism at the grave of James Bulger. The incident was reported at Kirkdale Cemetery on the afternoon of Friday 10 April 2026, marking the second time the memorial has been targeted in six weeks.
Officers were called to the site in Fazakerley at approximately 1:20pm on Friday after damage was discovered. Following enquiries, the man was arrested later that afternoon at 4:10pm. He has since been released on conditional bail while the investigation continues.
In both recent incidents, the heads of two cherub statues framing the headstone were removed or smashed. These statues had been repaired only weeks ago following an appeal that raised over £23,000 to restore the grave after a previous act of vandalism occurred on 26 February 2026. During that earlier incident, two large marble angels were damaged and a teddy bear was stolen from the grave.
James Bulger’s mother, Denise Fergus, has expressed her deep distress regarding the repeated attacks, describing the acts as devastating and evil. Kirkdale Cemetery, which is managed by Liverpool City Council, has been the location of this memorial since James was murdered in 1993.
Police are continuing their investigation into the matter and have encouraged anyone with relevant information to come forward.
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