The family of murdered toddler James Bulger say they have found items taken from his grave when it was vandalised.

The two-year-old was abducted from a Bootle shopping centre in 1993, before being tortured and killed by Jon Venables and Robert Thompson - then both aged 10 - in a crime that shocked the nation.

Two cherub statues next to James' grave in Kirkdale Cemetery were damaged twice in six weeks earlier this year โ€“ once in February and and again this month. A fundraiser to repair the headstone amassed more than ยฃ23,000.

Earlier this month, a 78-year-old man, from Kirkby, was arrested on suspicion of theft and criminal damage.

In a post on the Facebook page of the James Bulger Memorial Trust charity, his family said they had "found the 2 vandalised cherub heads" following a tip-off.

"We have also now found the original sleeping cherub and a couple of other items stolen from James's resting place."

They said items had also been seized from other graves and police would return them to the families concerned.

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A 78-year-old man, from Kirkby, is arrested on suspicion of theft and criminal damage, police say.

Denise Fergus shared her "heartbreak" after statues next to her son's grave were smashed in February.

James' mum Denise Fergus says she felt her heart break to learn of the vandalism.

James's mum Denise Fergus says she "felt my heart break" to learn of the vandalism.

Jon Venables, 10 when he killed James Bulger in 1993, failed in a previous bid for parole in 2023.