A NEWPORT woman says she is heartbroken after flowers were taken from her daughter's memorial bench.

Ruth Christoffersen's daughter, Emma, died of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in 2000 after taking a long-haul flight from Australia to the UK.

Following the tragedy, Mrs Christoffersen and her husband joined the families of other DVT victims to raise awareness about the condition and the risks associated with air travel.

A memorial bench was placed near the family home, in Underwood, in 2011. Mrs Christoffersen regularly tends to the bench and leaves flowers and other decorations there in her daughter's memory.

But she was shocked to find a flower arrangements she had recently secured to the bench had disappeared – apparently stolen.

"I couldn't believe it – the neighbours looked around but there was nothing," she said. "It was a rose pot, with real and artifical flowers.

"I've been putting stuff there for 11 years – for Christmas, birthday, and on September 30 (the anniversary of Emma's death and, also later, her husband's death) and it's never been touched."

South Wales Argus: Ruth Christoffersen, pictured with late husband John in 2010 on the memorial bench to their daughter, Emma, who died from deep vein thrombosis after a long-haul flight in 2000. Picture: Mark LewisRuth Christoffersen, pictured with late husband John in 2010 on the memorial bench to their daughter, Emma, who died from deep vein thrombosis after a long-haul flight in 2000. Picture: Mark Lewis

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Mrs Christoffersen said it was "heart-wrenching" to think that somebody may have stolen the flowers that she had fastened securely to the memorial bench.

But she said she hadn't reported the incident to the police, saying they "have got enough to cope with".

"I know with everything going on it's just flowers, but this is very personal," she added. "If [the person who took the flower arrangement] was that desperate, I would have given it to them."

In the meantime, Mrs Christoffersen intends to keep on campaigning about the dangers of DVT.

Her daughter, Emma, collapsed and died shortly after arriving at Heathrow Airport in October 2000. She had been visiting Australia with her partner. Her death attracted worldwide media attention and sparked a campaign by her parents, calling for airlines to do more to raise people's awareness of the potentially fatal condition.

"I know people aren't travelling at the moment, but one day they will," Mrs Christoffersen said this week. "People think 'it can't happen to me', but we (Emma's family) didn't realise the severity of this either, until we started campaigning."