Two plead guilty after Ilfracombe war memorial plaques taken

Two men have appeared in court following the theft of six bronze plaques from Ilfracombe war memorial.

Jason Vickers, aged 43 of Barton Tors, Bideford and Ben Pearsall, aged 39, of Fore Street, Torrington, pleaded guilty at Exeter Magistrates Court to dealing in cultural objects.

Following their court appearance on Saturday (January 14), the pair were remanded in custody and will be sentenced on February 12.

A third man, aged 51, who was also arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods and dealing in tainted cultural objects, remains on police bail until January 18.

The six plaques bearing the names of Ilfracombe’s war dead from two world wars were stolen some time between January 10 and 11.

They were later spotted in Bideford and police moved quickly to arrest the three suspects and recover the plaques.

All but one of the plaques on the memorial were taken, with the remaining one left damaged by attempts to remove it.