Son loses legal bid on bodies

A SON who is trying to prevent a council disposing of his dead parents’ bodies yesterday lost his bid to take his case to Britain’s highest court.

Melvyn Marcel urged judges at the Court of Session to give permission to have the UK Supreme Court to hear his arguments.

Marcel, of Edinburgh, is trying to stop the city council from arranging funerals for his mum Hilda, 68, and dad Eugenios, 91.

Their remains have been kept in a city mortuary for 15 years.

Marcel was appealing against a decision made by Lord Mulholland at the Court of Session in Edinburgh earlier this year.

Councillors were given permission from the judge to arrange a burial for the couple, whose bodies were discovered in a former fishmonger’s shop in 2002.

The council argued that they had a statutory duty to dispose of the bodies.

Marcel wants to build a special fridge in his home to store the bodies until he builds a mausoleum in the property.

He eventually plans to lay his parents to rest in the West Bank in Gaza.

Marcel yesterday asked for permission to take his case to London and told judges Lord Carloway, Lord Brodie and Lady Clark of Calton: “It is a matter of public importance.”

But the judges refused to allow the case to progress.

Lord Carloway said: “There is no arguable point of law in this case. No issue of public importance has been raised.”