THE grieving family of a teenage girl who died four years ago today are distraught that flowers laid at the spot where she was found were stolen.

Jenny and Basil Vaughan say they are angry and disgusted that anyone could take flowers in memory of their "beautiful" 14-year-old daughter.

Michaela Vaughan, (pictured) who was a pupil at Risca Comprehen-sive, was found hanging from a tree near the canal at Risca on July 2, 1998.

She spent several days on a life-support machine before she died on July 14.

Mrs Vaughan says she still cannot bring herself to visit the spot where her daughter was found but her husband goes there each week and recently laid flowers to mark the fourth anniversary of Michaela's death.

But yesterday, when he visited the spot again, Mr Vaughan found that the flowers had gone.

"They have just disappeared," Mrs Vaughan said.

"I think it is quite disgusting and we are very angry about it. People know why flowers are left in these places - why couldn't they just leave them alone? They are just as bad as these people who take things from graves.

"We put flowers there in January when it would have been her 18th birthday and they weren't taken then."

Mrs Vaughan, of Elm Drive, Risca, added the family is still determined that flowers will be at the spot on the anniversary of Michaela's death - and will keep replacing them even if they are stolen again.

The couple are still trying to come to terms with Michaela's death, and they say they still cannot believe that their daughter deliberately harmed herself. An inquest recorded a verdict of misadventure.

"She never had a depressed moment in her life. She was due to go shopping the day after she was found, to buy her summer clothes," said Mrs Vaughan.

"Our lives are over really. We are just existing. She was such a lovely child, so special. Everyone loved her."