Joy Division News

Someone has stolen the memorial gravestone that marks the late Joy Division singer's final resting place in a West England cemetery, British authorities said Thursday.

Curtis, who was recently played by Sam Riley in the well-received biopic Control, hanged himself May, 18, 1980, at the age of 23, right before his band was about to embark on its first U.S. tour. The post-punk visionary's body was cremated in Macclesfield, where he grew up.

The more than 20-year-old stone marking the spot where his ashes are buried is inscribed "Ian Curtis, 18-5-80" and bears the signaturely gloomy sentiment, "Love Will Tear Us Apart, " the title of Joy Division's biggest song.

A spokesman for the Cheshire Police said in a statement that the theft occurred sometime between Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning.

"There is no CCTV in the area and there are no apparent leads as to who is responsible for the theft," inspector Gareth Woods said. "This is a very unusual theft and we are confident that someone locally will have knowledge about who is responsible or where the memorial stone is at present."

"We had to break the news to Debbie [Woodruff, Curtis' widow] and she was shocked and found it difficult to take in. She is in a state of disbelief and shock," said a spokesman for the Macclesfield Borough Council.

Woodruff penned the memoir Touching From a Distance, on which Control is based.

New Order drummer Stephen Morris, who formed his current band with his Joy Division mates after Curtis' death, told Britain's Telegraph newspaper that the thief probably swiped the stone as a "sick souvenir."

"We've all been wild and reckless in our time, but surely this represents a new low. It's probably a fan who has taken it, and I would appeal to them to return it or leave it at the nearest police station."