Shorter time limit considered for unclaimed ashes

One West Midlands funeral director had 150 urns that had not been collected

"There is no definitive number but we are talking about a considerable amount - we are well into five figures here."

This is the best estimate of Dominic Maguire, spokesperson for National Association of Funeral Directors, who said many firms have "a large depository of ashes", some of them dating back to the 1940s.

He was speaking after William H Painter, a firm of funeral directors with six branches across the West Midlands, launched an appeal to find the next of kin willing to take back its unclaimed ashes - a figure now of 150 that have gone uncollected for more than five years.

Phil Painter, from the firm, said following the appeal his team will hold a special service and scatter each set of ashes in a local garden of remembrance.

Currently the National Association of Funeral Directors recommends that its members hold onto ashes for at least five years.

River Clyde ashes

But Mr Maguire thinks funeral directors may have to get families to sign a form agreeing to a 30-day time limit, similar to the rules already pertaining at most crematoria.

Funeral directors often go to some lengths to ensure that unclaimed ashes are disposed of with "taste, dignity and care", according to Mr Maguire.

"One firm of funeral directors in Glasgow had a particular problem a few years back and what they did was to hire a small launch and all the unclaimed ashes were strewn onto the River Clyde, which is an area of some significance to the citizens of Glasgow.

"After each set of ashes was interred a single red rose was dropped in.

"They also had a number of ministers from the various faith groups in attendance to have an ecumenical ceremony at the scattering of the ashes," he added.

Host of reasons

Co-operative Funeralcare, which has 900 funeral homes nationally, said it has "a large number of cremated remains" in its care.

"This is quite commonplace within the profession and we have a responsibility to the families concerned to look after these ashes until we are given appropriate instructions," a spokesperson said.

Many crematoria set a 30-day limit on the length of time they will keep ashes

Under the terms of the Crematorium Act when a person is to be cremated their family has to fill in a form and choose one of three options about what is done with the ashes:

• They can choose to have the crematorium either look after them or dispose of them in their garden of remembrance.

• They can take the ashes away with them.

• The can opt to have the funeral director look after them.

Mr Maguire said: "Lots of people when they arrange a funeral leave instructions for the ashes to be left with the funeral director and unfortunately with the passage of time many people neglect to come back and retrieve the ashes.

"The reason may be that they don't find themselves in a place where they can deal with it emotionally, it can be that the person responsible for arranging the funeral has themselves died, it could be that a family have moved away and forgotten all about it - there are a whole host of reasons."

Funeral directors go to considerable lengths to try and trace relatives, including sending recorded delivery letters, advertising in papers and, in some cases, actually knocking on doors, he added.