A thief stole flowers left at a roadside commemorating the birthday of a car crash victim.

Marni Triggs, 21, of Rousham Road, Tackley, died in the crash on the A4095, near Woodstock, in August 2006.

To mark what would have been her 23rd birthday, her family left a plant pot containing 23 sunflowers at the scene.

However, they were horrified after learning thieves stole the flowers.

Marni's mother Liz, 52, said: "Everyone knows why people leave flowers at the side of the road and I think to do something like this is disgusting.

"Sunflowers were one of Marni's favourite flowers which is why we chose them and I felt sick when I realised what had happened.

"It was bad enough to have to leave the flowers there in the first place, and now someone goes and does something like this.

"And it's not like they were just left on the side of the road.

"They were in a big, heavy container. I just can't imagine why someone would do it."

Marni's sister, Nancy, 20, discovered the flowers were missing when she returned home from a shopping trip to Oxford.

She said: "I pulled over to see if they had blown over or something.

"At first I thought the council might have taken them away, but then I found the container with all the flowers gone.

"It was already a difficult time and we were just trying to be as positive as we could. It has really knocked us all sideways."

The Triggs had hoped to leave the sunflowers at the spot until the anniversary of Marni's death on August 7.

Mrs Triggs said: "It was just a little something that I wanted to do to mark both her birthday and her anniversary."

The family has now taken new flowers to the spot to replace those stolen.

Miss Triggs said: "We have put some different flowers there now and a little sign saying they are a tribute to Marni with her dates on.

"It also says, 'Please leave these tributes here', in case it crosses someone else's mind to take them.

"I do hope it was complete ignorance on the part of the person who took them and that they didn't think about what they were doing and the effects it would have on people.

"All of us have said that they couldn't have enjoyed the flowers if they had known why they had been left at the side of the road."