Body falls out of coffin at Darwen funeral after straps snap

Jake Berry says funeral directors need greater regulation

A body fell out of a coffin after the straps snapped while it was being lowered into a grave during a lockdown funeral, an MP has claimed.

Jake Berry MP said mourners were left "very distressed" and family members left the funeral immediately.

The Tory MP for Darwen and Rossendale was speaking during a debate on the regulation of the funeral industry.

Funeral director Emma Childerley said Mr Berry had given an "incomplete version" of the "awful accident".

Mr Berry told the Commons a constituent's uncle was being lowered into a three-person grave at Darwen cemetery on 22 January when the straps snapped.

He said the coffin fell more than 8ft (2.4m) into the open grave, "resulting in the exposure of the remains of the deceased".

The BBC understands a family member was one of those lowering the coffin using straps which the undertaker had borrowed.

'Exceptionally traumatic'

Mr Berry said it was "exceptionally traumatic" for the family who did not believe K.C. Funeral Services had enough staff at the graveside.

The funeral occurred when Covid-19 restrictions allowed only 30 mourners at the service.

Mr Berry paid tribute to the priest who conducted the funeral, who organised the removal of the body from the grave, "using cemetery workers and remaining family members".

Fr Brian Kealey, parish priest of St Joseph and St Edward Roman Catholic Church, said he had tried to usher people away to prevent them seeing their loved one at the bottom of the grave.

Mr Berry said K.C Funeral Services was "lacking in many areas", and pointed out the company was not a member of the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD or the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF), which have voluntary regulation schemes.

He said he wanted to "address the gap in the regulations that enables some providers to operate with limited or no regulation".

Ms Childerley, whose firm's website promises funerals "from traditional to wacky", confirmed an incident had taken place but would not give specific details "out of respect to the family".

She said she was "disappointed" in her MP, who had failed to contact her to discuss the issues raised.

"[He] decided to take this incomplete account of events to a parliament discussion where he divulged my personal name, business name and the comments made to him," she said.

The undertaker added that being a member of SAIF or NAFD "would not have prevented this awful accident".

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