Police retrieve 34 bodies from Hull funeral home

Humberside Police has retrieved 34 bodies along with ashes from Legacy Independent Funeral Directors on Hessle Road in Hull over the weekend (10 March) and has “respectfully” transported them to a nearby mortuary for formal identification. 

The news comes after Humberside officers cordoned off three of Legacy’s branches after it received a report on Wednesday (6 March) of concerns “in relation to the storage and management and processes of the deceased people within those premises”. 

It is understood from Humberside Police that a 46-year-old-man and a 23-year-old woman employed at the funeral home were arrested earlier last week after reports of “concern for care of the deceased”. 

According to the police department, it had received more than 1,000 phone calls from the public pertaining to the incident since Friday (8 March), adding that specialist and forensic teams were searching at business premises linked to the suspects. 

While the arrested pair were in custody on suspicion of prevention of a lawful and decent burial, fraud by false representation and fraud by abuse of position, they have since been released on bail while a police inquiry continues. 

Within a week since Legacy’s three branches had been closed for police investigation, all cordons were lifted from the premises in Hessle Road and Anlaby Road in Hull, and Beckside in Beverley.

In an update on the investigation, deputy chief constable, Dave Marshall, said: “Firstly, I want to express my sincerest and deepest sympathies to the families involved and anyone affected by the reports relating to Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull and East Riding.

“We are continuing to support the families involved through this extremely difficult and distressing time. This has been a truly horrific incident and they are understandably distraught and have many questions, and we are doing everything we can to give them the answers they desperately need.”

He added: “This is an extremely complex and sensitive investigation, with heartbroken and devastated families at the core of it, and we are determined to make sure that we keep the families involved at the heart of everything we are doing.”

The SAIF and the NAFD have confirmed that Legacy Independent Funeral Directors is not a member of either industry body, which means it is not subject to inspections or required to abide by either Code of Practice. 

A spokesperson for the NAFD said: “The public has the right to feel assured that their deceased loved ones are safe and secure, regardless of where they are cared for, but the current self-regulatory approach leaves some businesses and settings outside of oversight and bereaved consumers without recourse to an independent complaints or redress service.

“The NAFD has already called on the government to strengthen the oversight of the funeral profession. We believe it is critically important to ensure that all funeral homes are held to the same high standards expected of NAFD members and that the responsibility for this should not be borne alone by trade associations – but also underpinned by the government.”

They added: “We would like to see all UK funeral businesses compelled to meet a uniform quality standard, based on the well-established and tested principles already set out in the NAFD/IFSO Funeral Director Code, SAIF Code and Scottish Government Statutory Code. These are inclusive and able to be met by a wide variety of different business types and sizes, which protects the diversity of the sector, and benefits consumers by enabling choice.”