A GRIEVING pensioner has told how he was left devastated when condolence cards sent to him after his wife died were ripped open by a thief.

Brian Nethercliffe was left heartbroken after Margaret, his wife of 41 years, died suddenly on November 3.

The father-of-seven spent the next two days sorting out arrangements for Margaret’s funeral before going to visit his sister in Fleet.

But when the 77-year-old retired Portals worker returned to his home in Warton Road, South View, Basingstoke, he was shocked to find condolence cards ripped open in his porch and outside.

He said: “On the Friday morning, I had to take my wife’s clothes to the undertaker and decided to visit a friend who works at Basingstoke College of Technology.

“He told me he had called round the previous day and had put some money he owed me through my porch letterbox. So I’m putting two and two together. I think someone came round, opened the porch and then the envelopes.”

The thief grabbed £180 in cash, which had been posted by Mr Nethercliffe’s friend.

Mr Nethercliffe said: “Whoever did this went through the envelopes containing the cards to see if there were any donations. This person must be sick. They must have known that my wife had died. It’s not the money – it’s going through the cards that gets me.”

The grandfather of 16 said his wife, who suffered from diabetes, had died within 90 minutes of falling ill.

He added: "On the Monday, she went and saw a doctor and he said she looked fit but said she needed to go for a blood test because the back of her neck ached.

"At 6am, the following morning she could hardly breathe so I called an ambulance and it was there within 10 minutes. At 7.30am she died. She was diabetic and took insulin."

Asked what he thought about the thief, the grieving widower said: "Ripping open the cards was disgusting. I didn't need this on top of everything."

Anyone with information about this incident should call PC Nick Beech, at Basingstoke police station, on 101.