Hull funeral directors inquiry: 'I stare at my wife's ashes wondering if it is her'

Peter Welburn said he was left staring at the urn containing his wife's ashes "and wondering if she's in there"

A bereaved man said he was left staring at the urn containing his wife's ashes and "wondering if she's in there".

Peter Welburn used Legacy Independent Funeral Directors to cremate his wife, of 50 years, when she died in December.

He is among dozens of people wanting "quick answers" after 35 bodies and a quantity of ashes were removed from the firm's branch on Hessle Road in Hull.

Two people arrested on a number of offences were released on bail while inquiries continued, police said.

Mr Welburn said: "I just can't sleep at all and the family's devastated.

"I've got her ashes at home but is that her?

"I'm just sat there staring at her [urn] and wondering if she's in there or if she's somewhere else."

He said he was left feeling "down all the time" and he "just wanted to know" from the police whether his wife's remains were among those taken to another mortuary in the city.

Bodies and ashes have been removed from one of Legacy Independent Funeral Directors' three branches

Craig Smith is also another bereaved partner who is awaiting a response from the police.

He said he was having "sleepless nights waiting for answers" following the cremation of his partner Darren, who died following a heart attack on 14 October 2022.

Mr Smith said he collected his partner's ashes within three weeks of the funeral, which took place on 11 November.

"But now all this coming out I, like many, are wondering if we have actually got our loved ones or some other person's loved one. I don't even know if we've got the right ashes.

"It's very distressing."

Mr Smith said he provided information to help officers with the identification process and was waiting to hear back.

"But I know we have to let the police do their job," he added.

Humberside Police said it received a report of concerns "in relation to the storage and management and processes of the deceased people within" Legacy Independent Funeral Directors

Louisa Millington used Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in December for the cremation of her 42-year-old husband Carl following his death in November.

She said she had received his ashes.

"It's made me wonder...was it not him at all?"

Mrs Millington said she paid £500 for a ring to be made with "some of the ashes" but was left worried that the remains were not that of her husband.

"I'm already struggling with my husband's loss so I'm still deep in grief. And now this.

"This is all so unexpected."

Police said officers were searching at "business premises linked to the suspects"

Jackie Groizard said she felt "very bitter" after using Legacy Independent Funeral Directors for the cremation of her mother-in-law in June 2022.

She said her ashes had since been scattered and was not hopeful the family would "get that answer" of whether her mother-in-law's remains were in the mortuary.

"[It's] so upsetting," she said.

"It's almost surreal."

A 46-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of prevention of a lawful and decent burial, fraud by false representation and fraud by abuse of position have been released on bail while police inquiries continue.

They were arrested after police received a report on 6 March regarding concerns about the "storage and management processes relating to care of the deceased".

Humberside Police said the force's dedicated helpline numbers remained open, having received more than a thousand phone calls since Friday.