Police in fraud inquiry at Fife funeral directors

INVESTIGATION: It is alleged company sold unregistered pre-paid funeral plans

Detectives are probing an allegation of fraud against an award-winning Fife undertaker.

The Courier understands the investigation centres on Stevenson Funeral Directors and an allegation that the firm has sold pre-paid funeral plans which were not registered with the trustee company.

It is understood more than 80 cases could be involved.

The Rosyth-based firm was named Scotland’s best funeral director in the inaugural Scottish Funeral Awards in August.

Among those involved in the inquiry are a 99-year-old woman and her 79-year-old daughter, who has terminal cancer.

The older woman spent £5,000 with Stevenson Funeral Directors on what she believed were two cremation packages from Avalon Funeral Plans for her and her daughter.

They went to Stevenson Funeral Directors, which also has branches in Cardenden, Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy, in July 2019 after seeing them advertised on television and believing their funeral arrangements would be taken care of.

Their granddaughter and niece, who did not want to be named, said she had been alerted by police.

She said: “My grandmother has been frugal all her life and has paid £5,000 for their funerals.

“She doesn’t know about this and I don’t want her to know, she would be devastated.”

She said her family would probably be able to cover the costs of their funerals if necessary but she feared for other elderly people who may not have relatives to advocate for them.

She said: “You expect honesty and integrity from a funeral director and when you look at this company’s website they are all about honesty and integrity.”

Stevenson Funeral Directors was approached for comment by The Courier on Tuesday morning but did not respond.

Managing director Barry Stevenson, previously known as Barry Hamilton, was said to be on holiday.

A police spokesman confirmed: “Police Scotland is investigating a report of a fraudulent scheme linked to a business in Rosyth, Fife, which was received in September 2019. “Inquiries remain ongoing.” A spokeswoman for Avalon Funeral Plans said: “Avalon have been made aware of the situation by Dunfermline police who have requested that all inquiries are passed directly to them at Dunfermline Police Station.”