The gravestone of hanged teenager Derek Bentley was found propped up outside Mitcham police station on the anniversary of his death.

Bentley, the victim of a gross miscarriage of justice, was convicted for killing a policeman in a bungled break-in at a warehouse in Croydon in 1952.

Last week his gravestone was stolen from Croydon Cemetery and left outside Mitcham police station.

Police say that they are still looking into the circumstances around the theft.

The council said that they contacted the owner of the grave to let them know about the incident so that they could pursue the matter with the police.

The 19-year-old did not fire the fatal shot that killed PC Sidney Miles, it was his accomplice Christopher Craig that was responsible for the murder.

However, Craig was still a juvenile at the time and so received a prison sentence.

Bentley was painted as the ringleader and sentenced to death.

What the jury were not told was that he had the mental age of an 11-year-old.

He was convicted on the basis of police evidence.

Three officers told the court they had heard him encourage Craig to shoot by shouting “Let him have it”.

Bentley’s defence said he was already under arrest at the time the shots were fired and was simply urging Craig to give up his gun.

The night before Bentley’s hanging, up to 300 people gathered outside the Houses of Parliament to petition for a stay of execution. Their petition was made in vain, he was hanged at Wandsworth Prison at 9am on January 28.

He was pardoned posthumously 46 years later.

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