Funeral directors inquiry: Extremely unlikely to get DNA from ashes - expert

Professor Denise Syndercombe Court says it is "extremely unlikely" DNA can be extracted from ashes given to families

Families may never find out if ashes given to them by a funeral directors are those of their relatives, a DNA expert has suggested.

Police removed 35 bodies, along with ashes, from Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull following "concern for care of the deceased".

Some relatives given ashes fear they may not be those of their loved ones.

Professor Denise Syndercombe Court said it was "extremely unlikely" DNA could be extracted from cremated remains.

Floral tributes continue to be placed outside Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hessle Road, Hull

Prof Syndercombe Court, a forensic expert based at King's College London, was involved in efforts to identify victims of the 2017 Grenfell tower block fire in North Kensington, West London, which killed 72 people.

She is not involved in the funeral home investigation but told the BBC: "It is extremely unlikely there would be any DNA left to extract following cremation."

The expert said this was due to the temperatures, typically about 1,000C (1,832F), involved in the cremation process.

'Desperately sad'

Some families who used Legacy for cremations claimed they had never received ashes. Others are concerned that ashes they received may not be those of their relatives.

Prof Syndercombe Court said DNA could sometimes be extracted from bones and teeth but said such material was not given to families to spare them distress.

She added: "It is desperately sad. It's just awful for those families."

Humberside Police said it transported the 35 bodies to a city mortuary after receiving a report on 6 March of concerns about the "storage and management processes relating to care of the deceased".

Cordons were in place at the firm's branches in Hessle Road and Anlaby Road in Hull, and in Beverley, also in East Yorkshire.

Officers later said they had contacted the families of the 35 bodies.

Humberside Police said it had more than 1,500 calls from people concerned about their loved ones' remains.

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. Both were later bailed pending further investigations.

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