Law enforcement officials in the town of Shrewsbury, England, are investigating after a vandal smashed the grave of Ebenezer Scrooge from the film A Christmas Carol.
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According to BBC, the Ebenezer Scrooge grave was used as a prop in the 1984 film adaptation of A Christmas Carol. The prop was left in the graveyard next to St. Chad’s Church for 40 years. Unfortunately, it has been shattered into pieces.
Now, the town’s council is left to figure out if the prop is repairable.
The incident has left residents frustrated and angry.
“I’m just really furious because why would they do it when people go there to see it?” one resident, identified as just Christine, told BBC Radio Shropshire.
Nigel Hinton, a town guide who was planning to do Christmas Carol tours in the area throughout the month of December, stated the grave’s condition “attracted even more attention.”
“It’s very upsetting,” Hinton then said about the vandalism. “It’s a very iconic piece of prop left over from a film, which had a major impact on Shrewsbury tourism, I think. People have been going along sympathizing and really having a look at it.”
Hinton further pointed out that the grave has been left “unreadable.”
Some Believe the Ebenezer Scrooge Grave Was For Someone Else
Meanwhile, Martin Wood, who also hosted Christmas Carol tours and appeared in the film, also spoke out. He said the grave may not have always been used as a prop.
“We believe it was actually a gravestone for somebody else,” he said. “The film company had to do a lot of research to sort of try and discover who was underneath it before they got permission… to actually use it and put Ebenezer’s name on the top of it. So, yeah, I mean, it’s been there for donkeys years.”
Wood further recalled his initial reaction to the grave’s damage. “When I saw the photographs, I thought, ‘Why?’” he said. “What pleasure do they actually get from doing something like this.”
Christine then said she felt one of the town’s traditions had been lost due to the vandalism. “It’s a tradition, an old tradition, and they’ve ruined it,” she said about the vandals. “My grandkids love going ..honestly, but they’ve ruined it.”
“For people of our age to be able to tell your grandchildren about it,” fellow resident Linda added. “[It’s] a special thing, isn’t it?”
No leads about the incident have been released.