Hull Minster to hold memorial service for Legacy funeral home dead

The Reverend Canon Dr Dominic Black says a memorial service will be held at Hull Minster

Hull Minster will host a memorial service for families affected by a major police investigation into a funeral directors, its vicar has said.

Humberside Police launched its investigation into Legacy Independent Funeral Directors on 6 March following concern for "care of the deceased".

The Reverend Canon Dr Dominic Black confirmed a service would take place once the investigation had concluded.

A vigil was held at the minster on Saturday 23 March.

A memorial service will be held at Hull Minster for families affected by the investigation into Legacy Independent Funeral Directors

Thirty-five bodies and a quantity of ashes were removed from Legacy's premises in Hessle Road, Hull, as part of their investigation, police said.

Families have been left questioning whether ashes given to them by the funeral director are those of their relatives.

Dr Black said the vigil, attended by about 100 people, was a "holding service", to recognise the upset caused.

"We know families of those affected really appreciated it," said Dr Black.

He added: "Due to the number of families affected by the investigation, we feel a more formal, corporate memorial service is needed, in due course, to reflect the scale of upset and loss people are feeling.

"This service will take place at the minster once the police investigation has concluded."

Dr Black said the service would be led by him and The Bishop of Hull, Dr Eleanor Sanderson.

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

Timeline

6 March - Humberside Police receive a report "expressing concern about the storage and management processes relating to care of the deceased"

8 March - Cordons are erected and officers attend at Legacy's three premises - two in Hull and one in nearby Beverley

9 March - Officers arrest a 46-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman after they touch down at Heathrow Airport. The pair are "transported to Humberside"

10 March - 34 bodies are removed from Legacy's premises in Hessle Road, Hull, and taken to the city's mortuary

12 March - Police revise the number of bodies removed from the funeral directors to 35, adding a quantity of what they believe to be human ashes was also recovered from the premises. The force states two people arrested have since been been bailed

15 March - The families of all 35 deceased have now been contacted, police say. Specialists from the National Crime Agency are drafted in. Police say they have received more than 1,500 calls from the public

21 March - Officers say the two arrests were made at Heathrow Airport after the pair arrived in the UK

• Visit BBC Sounds for audio updates on this story