A GRANDMOTHER stole mementos from her dead grandson's shrine after being asked to feed the cat while his mother was on holiday.

Alison Seabury, aged 39, from Fern Isle Close, Whitworth, sold the precious keepsakes belonging to her grandson Harvey Lewis-Hayes, who died two years ago at just nine weeks old.

Mum Hayley Lewis, 19, had kept a shrine to her son at her Wallbank Drive home.

But in October, while she and partner David Hayes were on holiday in Fuerteventura, Seabury rifled through the house and stole a gold charm bracelet and teddy bear charm from the memorial.

She originally denied taking the items, but they were later tracked down to a Rochdale pawn shop.

Seabury pleaded guilty to theft and was given a community order, 10-week curfew and ordered to pay £75 costs when she appeared at Rawtenstall Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

In a victim statement read out in court Hayley said: "I was heartbroken when returning from holiday.

"Alison took the gold charm bracelet off the dressing table where all Harvey's photos, first shoes, tooth sake box, tiny footprints printed in paint and all his personal belongings where.

"Everything was disturbed, I liked everything around his photo to be neatly laid out.

"This terrible act was committed in front of his photograph, which made me feel physically sick because she is his grandma.

"It gave me a great sense of pleasure to be near his things all laid out on the dresser.

"I feel extremely betrayed that she did not even let us get to our holiday before she violated my home and stole from us. She did it on the first day we were away.

"I believe her actions in taking the jewellery were calculated and callous in the extreme."

Speaking after the sentencing, Hayley's father, Michael Lewis, said: "On reflection I think it's a good sentence, I think this will give her time to reflect on what she's done as she can't go out over Christmas and new year."