Grave vandals

Growing concern - vandals are targeting cemeteries

Cemeteries should be places where grieving relatives are free to mourn in peace.

But for many people in the Midlands, this peace is being shattered by thieves and vandals who target the graves of loved ones.

Grave desecration is a problem across the region; memorials are smashed and flowers and ornaments stolen.

Inside Out meets the grandfather who patrols a Black Country cemetery where items were taken from his grandson's grave.

And we hear from the mother who decided to have her son’s remains exhumed after his grave was targeted by vandals.

We also travel to the graveyard where officials are fighting back by introducing some simple – and effective – security measures.

Links relating to this story:

• Inside Out North East
• Home Office
  Cruse Bereavement Care
  

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Tolkien Tourism

JRR Tolkien - time to celebrate the Lords of the Rings?

The author JRR Tolkien has long been hailed as one of Britain’s best-loved writers.

His books are now more popular than ever, thanks to the multi-million pound box office success of the recent Lord of the Rings films.

The movies have sparked a tourism boom in New Zealand where the trilogy was filmed.

But in Birmingham, the place where Tolkien spent his childhood, very little has been done to celebrate his life and work.

Self-confessed Lord of the Rings fanatic Toyah Willcox heads out on the Tolkien trail to find out whether more could be done to tap into this Middle Earth mania.

Links relating to this story:

• BBC Legacies
• Lord of the Rings
• Tolkien Society
• Birmingham City Council
• Birmingham UK

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Prison Penpals

Prison panpals - making contact inside

Murderers, rapists and fraudsters are all on Elsa Punzi's long list of penpals.

Elsa has written thousands of letters to convicted criminals in prisons in the United States.

She is one of many women who regularly correspond with prisoners on the other side of the Atlantic, some using specialist websites to make contact.

Elsa believes people deserve a second chance and that her letters offer prisoners a vital link to the outside world.

But could there be a more sinister side to these pen pal schemes?

We hear from the Birmingham psychologist who suggests some prisoners may have darker and more disturbing motives for keeping in touch.

Links relating to this story:

• HM Prison Service

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