Mum devastated after memorial bench for daughter is destroyed by fire

A mother has been left "devastated" after a memorial bench for her daughter who died of sepsis aged 24 was destroyed by fire.

Bethannie Booth from Merthyr Tydfil died in 2023 just weeks after developing a sore throat.

Doctors discovered she had strep A and a collapsed lung. She developed sepsis and died surrounded by her family.

"It took me right back to when I witnessed her taking her last breath," said her mother Leanne Booth, speaking of the moment she heard the memorial had burned down.

South Wales Police said it was continuing to investigate reports of an arson attempt to the memorial bench at about 04:00 BST on 14 July.

"It was like somebody had put their hand into my chest, squeezed my heart and ripped it out, and stamped all over it again. I just broke down," Leanne said.

The bench had been placed in parkland near the family's home in the village of Abercanaid.

The plaque which had been fixed to the bench was badly damaged, Leanne said, and very little was left of the bench itself.

The memorial burned down in the early hours of Tuesday morning and council workers were making the area safe when Leanne made her way down to the spot.

Bethannie used to play down there with her friends when she was little and her family decided it was the perfect spot for a memorial, her mother said.

"She loved it there," she said.

The bench was put in place about two years ago.

"It brings back so many memories," she said. "It's so peaceful and beautiful there.

"It's just disrespectful. I feel sorry for the people or person that did it, because they must have such a sad life.

"I don't understand the mentality of... anybody getting a kick out of doing this.

"The whole community is devastated," she said.

Sepsis is a serious medical condition which occurs when the body's immune system - which is meant to fight against disease and infection - starts to attack the body's own tissues and organs.

The NHS explains: "Sepsis can be triggered by an infection in any part of the body. The most common sites of infection leading to sepsis are the lungs, urinary tract, tummy (abdomen) and pelvis."

It can be difficult to diagnose as the symptoms can at first appear to be flu, gastroenteritis or a chest infection.

They may take the form of unusual breathing, a physical rash or a change in skin's appearance, for example, it becomes blotchy or paler.

Merthyr Tydfil council leader Brent Carter said he and the ward's other two councillors had arranged for the remains of the bench to be taken away and a new bench to be installed in the next few months.