THE gravestone of an 18-year-old Chepstow man who died in a road accident five years ago today has once more been damaged by vandals.

This is the fourth time that the black marble headstone which marks the burial place of James Gaudian in St Deiniol's churchyard in the village of Itton, has been targeted.

James died in a road accident on November 14, 1997, and his family is devastated the grave has been vandalised at such a poignant time of year.

His father Paul, of Ormerod Road, Sedbury, Chepstow said: "I had a call from the church warden to say James' gravestone had white paint all over it, but in the meantime my wife Mary and daughter Rachel discovered it when they went to put flowers there."

A spokesman for Chepstow police said the incident had been reported to them and officers were investigating.

But Mr Gaudian said: "The whole family has suffered a catalogue of criminal damage over the past four years and each time police have investigated.

"We've had windows smashed in the house and in our cars, we've had three cars covered in paint stripper and now James' gravestone has been vandalised again, just five months after it last happened.

"We've had threatening phone calls and funny phone calls and each time we report it to the police. But it is very upsetting when James' grave is targeted. We had a photograph of him that was embedded in the headstone in a tile and that was removed and thrown away, but the police later recovered it."

PICTURED: Mary Gaudian beside her son's vandalised gravestone.