Families ‘will never know if they were given wrong ashes from funeral firm’
MANY families will never know if they were given the wrong ashes by a funeral directors at the centre of a police investigation, officers revealed yesterday.
Scientists have told detectives that DNA is destroyed in the cremation process and it will be impossible to recover a ‘ meaningful profile’ from ashes recovered in the probe into Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull.
Dozens of families have been given ashes by the funeral firm that they will never know for sure really are the remains of their loved ones. Ashes recovered from the premises will never be identified unless they are labelled.
Humberside Police assistant chief constable Thom McLoughlin said this would ‘be devastating news for families and loved ones’, adding they had his ‘heartfelt condolences at this difficult time’.
He said: ‘While the expert opinion provides us with an assurance that the proper crematorium process had been followed, unfortunately, given the high temperature required to carry out a cremation, the DNA will have broken down and degraded to such a level that we would not be able to recover a meaningful DNA profile. This means we are unable to identify any of the human ashes.’
Police raided the firm’s premises last month after concerns about how it was being run. They recovered 35 bodies as well as ashes. Mr McLoughlin added police were looking at ‘suspected financial and fraudulent activity’ at the firm. Its director is Robert Bush, assisted by his daughter Saskya.
Officials from East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Hull City Council have also visited every funeral director in the area to check rules are being followed. Angela Dearing, director of public protection, said: ‘The incident at Legacy is in no way typical of the funeral industry in our area.’
A man, 46, and a woman, 23, who were arrested on suspicion of prevention of a lawful and decent burial, fraud by false representation and fraud by abuse of process, remain on bail.
‘We’re unable to identify remains’