A teenager has been arrested by West Mercia Police after the gravestone of Charles Dicken’s Ebenezer Scrooge, situated in Shrewsbury, was destroyed.
A 15-year-old boy was arrested on Monday 27th January 2025 on suspicion of criminal damage in connection with the vandalism incident in November last year. The teenager has since been released on police bail while enquiries are ongoing.
The gravestone, which is located at St Chad’s Church in Claremont Hill, was broken into three pieces. Police believe that the incident took place between Thursday 21st November and Sunday 24th November 2024.
While Ebenezer Scrooge is a fictional character in the festive classic novel, A Christmas Carol written by Charles Dicken, his death is marked by a real gravestone in Shrewsbury thanks to the 1980s film adaptation of the book. The gravestone was used as a prop in the production, and once filming was completed the inscribed stone used as Ebenezer Scrooge’s grave remained in the church grounds, and has since become a popular tourist attraction within the town.
Martin Wood, Shrewsbury’s town crier of over 40 years, and one of the many residents from the town who had a role in the 1984 film, starring George C Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge, said the stone used was actually an already existing grave at St. Chad’s. The writing on the original grave stone had been almost completely worn away by weathering over many centuries.
“They had to go to the Home Office to get permission and the rest of it, but nobody knew [whose grave] it was,” Mr Wood explained. “If you look at the bottom of the grave nearest to the path, you can just make out a little bit of writing.
Churchwarden Sue Kelly explained the popularity of the gravestone: “We get many visitors to our beautiful sacred church, which is wonderful, and are often asked for directions to the grave. I have on a number of occasions been asked if this is the real place where Scrooge’s bones lie. My response is usually ‘I’m not too sure’.”
The gravestone was restored and returned to St. Chad’s in time for Christmas 2024 when tours are often conducted to show people remaining sets and props from the iconic film. Local company Midland Masonry carried out the necessary repairs for free. Although it does not look exactly as it before, and cracks are still visible to visitors, the restoration ensures that you can read the engraving again.
“It’s been a bit of a challenge but nothing too unusual, apart from the name on the grave,” said stonemason Ed Jones.
