The words “‘I’m dead” were scrawled on a headstone in the churchyard using a marker pen and Mayor Jane Kingman-Pauley said she is disgusted by the graffiti.

She said: “It is heartbreaking and despicable. There is no need for this behaviour.”

Father Chris Atkinson, Bourne Abbey Church vicar, said: “I am disappointed. I hope it does not happen again.

“We will simply remove it quietly because if you rise to every bait, people see you as a target. You need to have diplomacy or you can make it worse. If someone else comes and does it, we will have to think of what steps to take next.”

Mrs Kingman-Pauley added: “It makes me feel sick that people can do something like this. Whoever did it should grow up and start thinking about other people’s feelings.

“How would they feel if it was the grave of their mum’s, dad’s or someone else’s, who was close to them, grave?

“I don’t know why they do it. They must have a sick sense of humour and be bored. People walk down there all the time as it is a public right of way, so I don’t know what we can do to stop it.”