A POLITICIAN’S home was ransacked by thieves almost a year to the day of him losing his beloved wife.
Veteran Labour councillor Stephen Grant returned home to find his house had been completely trashed – and the raiders had even set fire to the marital bed he shared with his wife Carol before she died.
Stephen, who is a councillor in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, had lived in the house on Afton Road in Kildrum for more than 30 years which was badly damaged by the thieves.
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The house was trashed with items thrown all over the place, a fire was lit in the bedroom ruining a mattress and curtains, and the bath was left overflowing.
The raiders also made off with five watches belonging to his late wife which Stephen was planning to give to his two daughters Laura and Lesley, and his granddaughters.
He had left the watches out with the intention of buying replacement batteries for them before gifting them.
The thieves also stole a collection of whiskies which featured the autographs of former Labour Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and ex-First Minister Jack McConnell.
But they bizarrely ignored cash which was lying around the property.
Stephen insists the attack, which took place on Sunday, was not political and explained he is devastated over what happened.
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He said: “I have spent my life trying to help people and I can’t believe something like this has happened.
“I don’t think the attack was political. I just think it was nasty.”
He added: “I feel horrible sitting here now, and might sell up and go elsewhere.
“What happened to our bed was just horrible, I don’t deserve this after the year I have had.”
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Stephen’s wife Carol died last May following a heart attack while she was driving her car.
He explained that emergency services did everything they could to save his 55-year-old wife before she died.
The couple married in 1985 and Stephen bought the property the previous year.
They had lived in the home for over three decades raising their two daughters.
He said: “I don’t care about the value of what was taken. It has just really upset me and my daughters.”
Stephen reported the incident to police who sent forensic teams to dust the crime scene for fingerprints.
Police Scotland confirmed that they had received a report of the incident and said inquiries are ongoing.
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