MP discusses funeral regulation with minsters

Emma Hardy (left) with colleague Dame Diana Johnson and Humberside Chief Constable Paul Anderson at the force headquarters at Melton.

An MP says she is meeting government minsters every week as the police investigation continues into Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull.

Emma Hardy, MP for Hull West and Hessle, is leading calls for the regulation of the funeral industry and says the government has promised a swift start to the process of inviting people to submit evidence.

On Saturday Ms Hardy met the Chief Constable of Humberside Police at their control room in Melton.

The MP visited the major incident room where a team of 100 officers are working on the case and received a briefing about how the investigation was going.

The force previously confirmed 35 bodies and a quantity of ashes had been removed from Legacy's premises in Hessle Road, Hull.

A 46-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of prevention of a lawful and decent burial, fraud by false representation and fraud by abuse of position. They remain on police bail pending further investigations.

The arrests came after what police said was a "concern for the care of the deceased" at Legacy Independent Funeral Directors.

Hull North MP Dame Diana Johnson and the Shadow Policing Minister Alex Norris also met Chief Constable Paul Anderson who they thanked "for the brilliant work his team have done since they were alerted to the case" which they said was "unprecedented".

'Glaring omission'

Ms Hardy added: “We can’t go into the detail of what was discussed but it is a huge investigation and the police are working tirelessly on behalf of the families who have been affected by this, many of whom are our constituents”.

She said it was her job to push for the regulation of the industry.

She said “Having spoken to experts within the sector it’s clear that mortuaries and crematoriums are regulated but for some reason funeral directors are not.

"That’s a glaring omission which needs to be dealt with.”

“It is clear from media reports over recent weeks that there are many families seeking answers”, she added.

On Saturday evening, a vigil was held at Hull Minister for those affected by the major police investigation

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