A mother whose son’s grave has been vandalised seven times has received an anonymous donation towards its upkeep.

The grave of Patrick James O’Mara-Roberts, who died in 1994 aged just two years and 11 months, has been subjected to a series of repeat attacks since May 2015 that involved the destruction of a picture of his face and the desecration of ornaments laid by his family.

FROM JUNE 2015: Baby's picture defaced in "sickening" gravestone vandalism at Teddington Cemetery

A woman in her 50s was arrested in July in relation to the vandalism, which took place in Teddington Cemetery, but she was not charged and police continue to investigate the attacks.

The donor decided to send £20 to Patrick’s mother, Maxine, after reading about her anguish in the Richmond and Twickenham Times.

Ms O’Mara and her husband visit her son’s grave four times a day in order to check there has been no further attacks, and described the vandalism as “beyond cruel.”

Richmond and Twickenham Times: 01-r-maxine-o-mara.JPG

The most recent attack was in January this year

She took the opportunity to thank the donor for his generosity.

Ms O’Mara said: “It is so nice to know that people care, and it really helps me keep going through this very hard time when people like this man show such kindness.”

A spokesman from Richmond Council said everything possible had been done to secure the grounds of the cemetery, in Shacklegate Lane, but it was against council policy to install CCTV cameras at a cemetery.