Hull funeral directors probe: Police unable to identify cremated ashes

Assistant Chief Constable Thom McLoughlin with (left) Hull City's Julia Weldon and East Riding of Yorkshire Council's Angela Dearing

Police say it is not possible to identify any of the cremated ashes at the centre of a major probe into a Hull funeral directors.

Humberside Police began investigating Legacy Independent Funeral Directors on 6 March following "concern for care of the deceased".

Thirty-five bodies and a quantity of ashes were recovered from the firm.

Assistant Chief Constable Thom McLoughlin said the latest development would be "devastating" for families.

Mr McLoughlin told a press conference on Thursday that the force had updated more than 700 affected families over the Easter weekend.

Robert Bush, who runs Legacy Independent Funeral Directors, pictured with daughter and employee Saskya Bush

He said officers had been working closely with forensic scientists "to assess whether it was possible to extract DNA from the human ashes in order to identify them".

While the force was satisfied the "proper cremation process had been followed", Mr McLoughlin said experts had deduced it would not be possible "to recover a meaningful DNA profile".

He added: "This will, of course, be devastating news for families and loved ones."

Mr McLoughlin said extensive work was continuing to formally identify the 35 bodies recovered from the firm's Hessle Road site.

It was a lengthy process but he added that - once completed - it would "provide families with complete assurances as to the identity of their loved ones" and "repatriation with their families".

Mr McLoughlin said investigators were also following up calls relating to suspected financial fraud.

Police received a report of "concern for the care of the deceased" at Legacy Independent Funeral Directors on 6 March

Addressing those who might have taken out funeral plans with Legacy Independent Funeral Directors, he said: "Please contact and speak to your insurance provider in the first instance and establish if the policy is legitimate or not. If [it's] not, please report it to the police."

Both Hull City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council are supporting affected families.

Julia Weldon, deputy chief executive of the city council, said: "Our message to them is that when they are ready to discuss funeral arrangements, they do not need to worry about the costs."

Angela Dearing, director of public protection at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said that, in light of the police investigation, teams had visited "every funeral director operating in our area" to carry out checks.

"While the sector is not formally regulated nationally, the visits were an opportunity for us to look at a number of key areas of funeral directors' business," she said.

"These voluntary visits were conducted in partnership with funeral directors, in order to give reassurances to customers and our local funeral directors.

"All the businesses we visited were receptive of any advice or suggestions that were made."

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.

Victim Support has set up a helpline - 0808 281 1136 - for anyone affected by the investigation.

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