SHREWSBURY, United Kingdom — The tombstone that marked the fictional grave of Ebenezer Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol” film was destroyed.
West Mercia Police are searching for suspects and investigating how the grave marker, in place for 40 years after being used as a movie prop, was destroyed, according to the Associated Press.
The 1984 film, an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic Christmas story, starred George C. Scott as Scrooge.
In the story, Scrooge is visited by three spirits: the Ghost of Christmas Past, who shows him memories of his happier, youthful days; the Ghost of Christmas Present, who reveals the struggles of those around him, including his underpaid employee Bob Cratchit; and the Ghost of Christmas Future, who shows Scrooge his tombstone, giving him a vision of his lonely death if he does not change his ways.
After filming, the stone was kept on the grounds of St. Chad’s Church where it had become a tourist attraction. The gravestone was originally an actual headstone with an inscription that had deteriorated. The church allowed the movie production company to use the stone and inscribe “Ebenezer Scrooge” on it.
West Mercia Police said the stone was vandalized sometime between Thursday and Sunday. Photos showed it broken into several pieces.