A DEVASTATED mum wept as she slammed heartless vandals who targeted the grave of her two-year-old daughter.

       Little Harper-Lee Fanthorpe died after swallowing a button battery from a remote control.

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       Vile thugs have vandalised the grave of little Harper-Lee, who died after swallowing a battery from a remote control Credit: BPM 4

       But mum Stacy-Marie has been left devastated after the two-year-old's grave was targeted Credit: BPM

       And mum Stacy-Marie Nicklin says sick thugs have repeatedly damaged the tot's grave in Carmountside Crematorium, Stoke-on-Trent.

       “I’m already grieving, so for somebody to do that, there’s no words really,” she told the Stoke Sentinel.

       “Harper’s been in that cemetery for six weeks.

       "For somebody to go to her resting place and purposely break her stuff, as a mum that breaks my heart even more.

       “Other parents go there to sit with our babies. That’s where we’re at peace.

       "So for somebody to go and damage their property, it’s just beyond me.

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       “Leave the babies alone. Let them be at peace. That’s their resting place.

       "As a mum I’m begging you, just please leave the babies alone.”

       Stacy-Marie discovered parts of her little girl's grave had been vandalised or were missing on her daily visit to the crematorium.

       “On three separate occasions some of the stuff was damaged." she said.

       "I went back down there the other day, and I brought Harper a little train to go on her grave that spelled out her name.

       “Somebody has broken one of the letters and tried to put it back together with chewing gum.”

       The graves of other little ones have also been damaged during the distressing spree.

       “As a family we’re going through the hardest time of our lives at the minute,” Stacy-Marie said.

       “It is just people going in there and damaging things that don’t need to be damaged?

       “They don’t need to be touched.”

       Harper died in May after acid from the battery burned through her food pipe and into a major artery.

       She was admitted to the Royal Stoke University Hospital after she started vomiting blood at home.

       An inquest heard surgeons discovered a hole in the toddler's oesophagus.

       However, during surgery, little Harper suffered cardiac arrhythmia and died.

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       The little one was laid to rest in May after she died during surgery Credit: BPM 4

       She has begged those responsible to stop Credit: BPM How to keep children safe

       There's only one sure-fire sign to look out for if a child has swallowed a battery.

       The youngster will begin to vomit fresh, bright red blood.

       Any child who vomits blood must get immediate medical help.

       However, other symptoms can include:

       Suddenly developing a cough Gagging or drooling Appearing to have a stomach upset Being sick Pointing to their throat or tummy Having a pain in their tummy, chest or throat Being tired or lethargic Being clingier than usual Losing their appetite Losing their ability to eat solid food

       Mum's warning as girl, 2, dies after swallowing battery from remote control