Funeral fumble after wrong coffin is taken to crematorium

Family and friends were left in shock at a crematorium in Southampton yesterday after it emerged that undertakers had arrived with the wrong coffin.

The mistake was quickly rectified after a member of staff checked the nameplate on the coffin and realised it was not the body of the 77-year-old man whose funeral it was. Mourners were then made to wait whilst the correct body was brought to the church. 

A spokesperson for Southampton City Council, which run the crematorium, said: “This very unfortunate and rare mistake was identified very quickly and the independent funeral director concerned took immediate steps to rectify the situation.”

Nigel Guilder, the funeral directors carrying out the funeral, immediately set about rectifying the problem, and returned shortly afterwards having retrieved the correct coffin.

Written by Alexandra Holt

Photo by Don LaVange