A vandal in Shrewsbury, England, has shattered the fictional tombstone of Ebenezer Scrooge, leaving the iconic movie prop from the 1984 adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” in ruins.
Police are investigating the incident, which took place at St. Chad’s Church, where the gravestone had become a popular tourist attraction.
The destruction has left the community and visitors disheartened. “There’s not much to see other than broken bits of the gravestone,” said Town Clerk Helen Ball. “You can’t see that it says Ebenezer Scrooge at the moment because it’s so damaged. It’s hugely disrespectful.”
In this picture, provided by the West Mercia Police on Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, a smashed movie prop tombstone that was used for the “A Christmas Carol” movie is seen in Shrewsbury, England. West Mercia… In this picture, provided by the West Mercia Police on Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, a smashed movie prop tombstone that was used for the “A Christmas Carol” movie is seen in Shrewsbury, England. West Mercia Police said the stone was vandalized sometime between Thursday and Sunday.
West Mercia Police/AP Photo
Tourist Draw Ruined Ahead of Holiday Season
The gravestone, a remnant of the beloved Christmas film starring George C. Scott as the miserly business owner, Scrooge, has been a centerpiece of organized tours during the holiday season.
Tourists and locals often visit St. Chad’s Church to see locations featured in the movie, where Scrooge famously confronts his fate.
The vandalism occurred sometime between Thursday and Sunday, according to West Mercia Police.
Photos from the scene show the tombstone broken into multiple pieces, its iconic inscription now illegible. Local authorities and residents are now debating whether the stone should be repaired or replaced.
Famed Scene Resonates With Fans
In the 1984 film, an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ timeless novella, Scrooge’s transformation is catalyzed by visions of his grim future.
In a haunting scene, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come leads him to a cemetery and reveals his name etched on a gravestone.
Confronted by his mortality, Scrooge vows to change his ways.
The gravestone’s destruction has sparked outrage in the community. This time of year, it is “hugely popular” with residents and visitors, Ball said, emphasizing its cultural and historical significance.
George C. Scott (right) stars as the penurious, stingy business owner Ebenezer Scrooge, and Edward Woodward (left) is the Ghost of Christmas Present, in “A Christmas Carol,” Charles Dickens classic holiday tale on April 1,… George C. Scott (right) stars as the penurious, stingy business owner Ebenezer Scrooge, and Edward Woodward (left) is the Ghost of Christmas Present, in “A Christmas Carol,” Charles Dickens classic holiday tale on April 1, 1984. On Tuesday, police in the town of Shrewsbury were investigating how a tombstone that marked the fictional grave of Scrooge was destroyed.
CBS/Getty Images
Call for Poetic Justice
Shrewsbury locals are expressing both frustration and humor in response to the incident.
Ball light-heartedly suggested that the vandal could benefit from a Dickensian lesson in morality. “If the ghosts of past, present and future would like to visit (the vandals) in the middle of the night and drop them and break them in pieces, I think that would be a perfect punishment,” she said.
While police work to identify those responsible, the town faces the challenge of restoring a cherished symbol of holiday cheer.
For now, the vandalized tombstone serves as a stark reminder of the cautionary story of Ebenezer Scrooge.
This article includes additional reporting from The Associated Press
Um die besten Erfahrungen zu bieten, verwenden wir Technologien wie Cookies, um Geräteinformationen zu speichern und/oder darauf zuzugreifen. Wenn Sie diesen Technologien zustimmen, können wir Daten wie das Surfverhalten oder eindeutige IDs auf dieser Website verarbeiten. Die Nichteinwilligung oder der Widerruf der Einwilligung kann bestimmte Merkmale und Funktionen beeinträchtigen.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
