The mother, whose name has not been released to the press, returned from a trip away to discover her Croydon home had been ransacked and a small white casket containing her daughter's ashes had been taken.
Commenting on the nature of the crime, police acknowledged that those responsible may have stolen the box under the assumption it contained jewellery.
Appealing to the public for their assistance, investigating officer at Croydon CID, Detective Constable Gordy Ashton said: "The victim has been left devastated by the loss of her daughter's ashes and we are appealing for information or assistance from members of the public to bring about the return of this item and to identify those responsible."
Desperate to reunite the woman with the ashes of her late daughter, he continued: "The container may have been discarded when its contents were discovered. I would like to hear from anyone who thinks they may have seen the container."
Determined to bring those responsible to justice, Detective Ashton urged the public to cast their minds back to the specific dates, saying: "We would like to hear from anyone who may have noticed anyone acting suspiciously during this time at this location."
"The burglar may have left the scene through Riddlesdown Common which is a vast area and used by members of the public," he advised.
The container is engraved with the name Fleur Lulu Blanshard Whiting and includes the date of demise as May 9th 2009.
We sincerely hope this story has a happy ending.
