Memorial for Wisbech father Arvydas Petrauskas set on fire

A memorial paying tribute to a Wisbech man whose body was found in the River Nene last month has been set on fire.

Friends and family of “hero” father Arvydas Petrauskas had previously put together the memorial in the town’s Malvern Gardens.

However, last night at around 9pm, the memorial was set on fire, destroying flowers and personal tributes.

Rasa Aukscione, a friend of Arvydas, said: “This act of vandalism has deeply affected Arvydas' family and everyone who knew him.

“We believe that bringing attention to this incident could help find those responsible and prevent such actions in the future.

“We hope the community can come together to honour Arvydas' memory and show respect.”

A Facebook post on the Wisbech Discussion Forum says friends are coming together to replace the damaged items.

Police have also been made aware of the situation.

Arvydas, 31, was last seen alive on Friday, March 31.

Some 13 days later, his body was discovered in the River Nene in Wisbech.

Relatives set up a GoFundMe page after his death to help get his body home to Lithuania. It raised around £3,000.

Arvydas, who was born in Lithuania on November 26, 1993, was a beloved son, dad, and husband, and his death has left a profound impact on those who knew him.

After moving to the UK at around 14 years old, he had a successful career as a multi-skilled engineer and had two children – a daughter who is 11 years old and a son who is now seven years old – with his ex-wife, Ieva Stadaliute.

Ieva said he was always a “keep going person,” and he would always find something to do.

Prevously speaking to the Citizen, she said: “He always tried to achieve his best. He always tried to help people and always put others before himself. He would always prefer to have less and other people have more.”

Ieva believes Arvydas took his own life as a result of the pressure from the social media posts that were made about him.

She also said that he had depression for quite some time, which seemed to have become worse over the last month, which could also have played a role in his death.