Grieving relative snatches dead body after undertaker goes bust

A GRIEVING relative broke into a funeral parlour and removed his motherin-law’s body after the firm went bust, it has emerged.

The man became concerned after he was unable to contact anyone from Butterfly Funeral Services in Rochester’s high street in Kent to discuss arrangements for the service.

Desperate to ensure his mother-inlaw was given a proper send-off, he decided to take matters – literally – into his own hands.

After gaining access to the premises, he removed the body, taking it to another undertaker in the back of a hire van, but he did not tell his wife as he did not want to cause her any further distress.

The man, who has asked not to be identified, told the police of his intentions and carried out the body-snatch in broad daylight, returning later to collect the clothing in which she had wanted to be buried.

“I had no option,” he said. “I had to get the body out. I had taken on all of the organising and I didn’t want to bother my wife. To this day she doesn’t know what happened and I won’t be telling her.”

His action, which took place a year ago, came to light this week as bailiffs moved in to repossess the premises.

When they inspected the premises they found 16 full urns on a shelf, which had not been reunited with their loved ones.

Karen Calder, who ran the business, has since been banned from using the

‘The client had actually warned me there might be one or two urns inside. But we actually found 16’

local crematoriums due to unpaid bills.

A handwritten note at the funeral parlour apologised for any distress caused to the families of those affected by the closure of the business and told customers to email her if they wished to collect the ashes.

Robert Lawrence, the manager of Medway Funeral Directors, which carried out the burial on behalf of the man’s family, said his client had made every effort to contact Ms Calder to sort out arrangements. He said: “He spent a long while in contact with the police and in the end told them, ‘I’ve just got to go and get her.’”

Mr Lawrence added: “When he did arrive with the body, we did all we could to help. He was very distressed and his wife still doesn’t know.

“These horror stories shouldn’t happen. That parlour was never regulated by anybody, and it’s a terrible thing for him to have gone through.”

The bailiff who repossessed the funeral parlour confirmed that some families had still not been reunited with their loved ones’ ashes.

Robert Hamshare, an enforcement officer for Mid Kent Bailiff Services, said: “When a premises is repossessed the property inside is returned to the client.

“But in this instance there was a quantity of human remains inside.

“The client had actually warned me there might be one or two urns inside because he had received calls from relatives who hadn’t had them returned. But we actually found 16.”

The urns have since been moved to another funeral parlour as efforts to contact relatives continue.