UK - Two arrested, 34 bodies removed during investigation into funeral directors, Hull, 10 March 2024

[JustTryingToHelp]

So, some thoughts on Hull Daily Mail claim today that Simon Woolston of Heavenly Services "died from Covid".

Legacy Funerals investigation 'unrelated to fraud probe at second firm'

Heavenly Services was investigated by Humberside Police in 2021 but the owner died from Covid

www.hulldailymail.co.uk

First, it was said in the local news in 2021 (links in previous posts) that he died from a "sudden and acute illness", this does not sound like Covid to me. And when people died of Covid in 2021 they'd usually have taken a test and it was normally just announced as "Covid", not in such lengthy yet vague terms. JMO.

Second, Simon Woolston had a Twitter account - simonewoolston - in which he was happily tweeting from a webinar on 6th October 2021. This was less than five days before his alleged death from Covid. He also used his account on the 7th.

http://www.twitter.com/simonewoolston

According to WHO, the timeframe from covid symptoms to death ranges from "about 2 weeks to 8 weeks". Not typically as few as five days.

Real estimates of mortality following COVID-19 infection

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Wonder if HDM have made a mistake with this..?

 

[Silverlink]

Police investigating Legacy Funeral Directors 'will not be exhuming graves'

Humberside Police are continuing to investigate a 'truly horrific incident' at branches of the funeral director in Hull and Beverley

www.hulldailymail.co.uk

 

[Silverlink]

Funeral firm at centre of bodies investigation has £62,000 debts

Legacy Independent Funeral Directors may also face demand to repay £20,000 in government Covid handouts

www.telegraph.co.uk

'The ashes we have may not actually be my nana's': Family stunned as police investigate Hull funeral home

Police have removed 35 bodies from three branches of a funeral director business - two in Hull and one in Beverley - after concerns were raised about "storage and management processes relating to care of the deceased".

news.sky.com

 

[Silverlink]

Government 'reviewing' funeral industry as police investigate Yorkshire parlour

Legacy Independent Funeral Directors is being investigated by Humberside Police

www.examinerlive.co.uk

Hull funeral directors inquiry: Husband says waiting is 'torture'

Richard Shaw used Legacy Independent Funeral Services to cremate his wife Rita who died in October 2023.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[JustTryingToHelp]

National Crime Agency join investigation into Legacy Funeral Directors in Hull

Humberside Police are "working around the clock" to find answers

www.hulldailymail.co.uk

 

[Silverlink]

Hull funeral directors inquiry: All bodies thought to have been identified

Police say they believe all the families have been contacted over the "truly awful incident".

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Cedars]

This seems to happen far more frequently than it should. A relative of mine volunteers for a local cemetery and the rules/regulations they have to follow for services are rigid.

It has to be a very systemic problem with a lot of complicit folks for it to be such a frequent occurring crime.

I'm only familiar with the case in Colorado Springs. Are there others that you've heard of?

In Colorado, it appears the funeral home did not have it's own crematorium. They had some sort of 'contract' with a crematorium. IMO that might incentivize a crooked funeral company owner to save money by postponing a cremation.

And whatever financial problems/greed lead to that step, just continues. And then they have remains where the documentation has to be forged because it's too long after death. And the crematorium starts objecting to sloppy documentation. And then it becomes all about attempting to cover-up, until they're caught.

JMO

 

[Yellowbelly]

What a distressing situation for the relatives, the link below shows pictures from Legacy's Facebook Page. It looks like they can host the whole funeral process (excluding cremation) including chapel of rest and chapel for the funeral service. There is a photo with the stand which holds the coffin with the curtains behind. After the funeral service I presume they open the curtains and the coffin moves through. The relatives then presume their loved one continues off to the crematorium for their final journey. Perhaps Legacy just aren't sending the deceased off to the crematorium although they've obviously been paid to do so, I think I read they were in financial difficulties. Log into Facebook

The scam certainly seems to have been to take the money from the families for cremations but not to actually send the bodies to be cremated. I can't work out what they were planning on doing to dispose of all the bodies they were left storing. The firm was clearly in financial difficulties, so perhaps this was a desparate attempt to keep the show on the road and they hadn't given much thought to what to do with the bodies they were left with.

 

[OrangeCash]

The scam certainly seems to have been to take the money from the families for cremations but not to actually send the bodies to be cremated. I can't work out what they were planning on doing to dispose of all the bodies they were left storing. The firm was clearly in financial difficulties, so perhaps this was a desparate attempt to keep the show on the road and they hadn't given much thought to what to do with the bodies they were left with.

I'm trying to figure out the money saving bit too. If bodies can only be cremated at a crematorium, not at the funeral directors.. are they burying more than one body in a casket? That's a pretty grim thought. Maybe that's why they have so many in storage because they're struggling to add an extra body to a casket without it being obvious, eg the casket weighing loads more than expected? Sorry if this is a ridiculous thought, I just don't know what other options there would be

or, are these 34 or 35 bodies that have been removed from the funeral home all the ones they've been storing and just not done anything with yet? Because they didn't have a plan of what to do and money was running out, so they just kept storing them and have now been found out?

I wonder who it was that figured it out. Crematorium staff maybe? In a local community they'll know the funeral directors and if they haven't been receiving bodies to cremate from this business, but have still been providing services and cremations.. that would start attracting suspicion. Also, the crematorium provides cremation certificates don't they? I don't think everyone asks for one, but I did when I wanted to take my Dad's ashes abroad so that airport security could see I wasn't smuggling anything dodgy. That certificate had to come from the crematorium, not the funeral directors. I wonder if anyone has been provided a false one from the funeral directors

Sorry for long post, just rambling thoughts
MOO

 

[Yellowbelly]

I'm trying to figure out the money saving bit too. If bodies can only be cremated at a crematorium, not at the funeral directors.. are they burying more than one body in a casket? That's a pretty grim thought. Maybe that's why they have so many in storage because they're struggling to add an extra body to a casket without it being obvious, eg the casket weighing loads more than expected? Sorry if this is a ridiculous thought, I just don't know what other options there would be

or, are these 34 or 35 bodies that have been removed from the funeral home all the ones they've been storing and just not done anything with yet? Because they didn't have a plan of what to do and money was running out, so they just kept storing them and have now been found out?

I wonder who it was that figured it out. Crematorium staff maybe? In a local community they'll know the funeral directors and if they haven't been receiving bodies to cremate from this business, but have still been providing services and cremations.. that would start attracting suspicion. Also, the crematorium provides cremation certificates don't they? I don't think everyone asks for one, but I did when I wanted to take my Dad's ashes abroad so that airport security could see I wasn't smuggling anything dodgy. That certificate had to come from the crematorium, not the funeral directors. I wonder if anyone has been provided a false one from the funeral directors

Sorry for long post, just rambling thoughts
MOO

I don't think that independant funeral directors in the UK have their own crematoriums. In fact, there are only four crematoriums in the whole of East Yorkshire. Three are in or near Hull and one at Driffield. The crematorium staff will work closely with the local funeral directors, so you may well be right about the crematorium staff noticing something that didn't seem right.

Crematoriums :: Funeral Choice

www.yourfuneralchoice.com

 

[Yellowbelly]

The Sun have picked up on the Heavenly Services case, the police have said in response that they do not believe the two cases are connected "at this stage".

Cops at centre of funeral home probe were investigating 2nd parlour

COPS at the centre of a “truly horrific” funeral home fraud probe were also investigating a second parlour, we can reveal. Officers recovered 35 bodies and a quantity of human ashes dur…

www.thesun.co.uk

According to the filings with Companies House, Legacy started up at the Anlaby Road site in 2011. They seem to have opened a second branch at the Hessle Road site after Heavenly went bust, so there doesn't seem to be a connection between the two companies on the face of it.

LEGACY INDEPENDENT FUNERAL DIRECTORS LTD filing history - Find and update company information - GOV.UK

LEGACY INDEPENDENT FUNERAL DIRECTORS LTD - Free company information from Companies House including registered office address, filing history, accounts, annual return, officers, charges, business activity

find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk

 

[JustTryingToHelp]

The funeral directors won't have had adequate storage facilities for 35 without someone's (perhaps from a nearby business or a delivery person) nose eventually taking notice.

IMO it's highly unlikely a local crematorium reported this, there are too many other funeral directors for them to be concerned and the staff's obvious thought would be that they were just using another site. As I understand, Legacy sometimes used a crematorium around four hours away in Andover (source: cremation certificates of known people who have used it). This is not that unusual, many funeral directors use the same site (will not name it but you will have seen TV adverts for it under a certain brandname).

It looks like this case has exposed massive loopholes in the funerals and cremations industry. While funeral directors offer a paid service to cremate bodies and return ashes, is there actually a specific timeline in which they have to do this (e.g. 7 days)? I don't believe there is, and the industry is based on trust and decency, hence the situation that has unfolded. If a funeral director has cash flow problems its easy to see how they could delay and delay the process until they find themselves in a situation they can't get out of. JMO.

 

[elliefant]

Why scandal at 'horror' funeral home may NOT be an isolated incident


Why scandal at 'horror' funeral home may NOT be an isolated incident

One way, we have been told, is by sending a body for cremation but dividing the ashes between two different sets of bereaved relatives, thus doubling the £300 profit a funeral business typically makes on each cremation.

Such a practice can result in the 'stockpiling of bodies' because only one corpse is being disposed of each time.

Crematoriums have only a certain amount of slots available on any given day.

So, if a funeral parlour, say, has six customers in a week requesting cremations of their loved ones, but only three are actually cremated, three 'extra' bodies will have to be disposed of at a later date. To extrapolate the sequence further, over a ten-week period, the number of 'extra' bodies rises to 30.

 

[JustTryingToHelp]

Article from 2015 about a cremation mix up which details some of the processes.

Wrong body was cremated due to spelling mistake and inadequate ID checks

Errors led to body of Phil Bradburn being cremated instead of that of West Midlands MEP Philip Bradbourn

www.theguardian.com

 

[JustTryingToHelp]

New information in this article from The Sun, including: "It is understood Robert [owner of Legacy] was out of the country when the funeral home was raided"

And: "Council officials in Hull and also East Riding, which covers Beverley, are now said to be carrying out inspections of all funeral homes across the area."

Inside funeral parlour with 35 bodies left to rot & families given wrong ashes

AS police tentatively pushed open the door to the rear of the funeral home the smell of decay hit immediately. Inside, they found 35 decomposing bodies, some not even in freezers. Many of the decea…

www.thesun.co.uk

 

[Officer Dibble]

Only just heard about this. Beyond horrific. JMO

 

[Skigh]

Grieving families say prayers as police probe funeral parlour scandal

An emotional vigil was held at St Martin's Church in Hull, East Yorkshire, directly opposite the boarded up Anlaby Road branch of Legacy Family Funerals.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Teeniesmum]

New information in this article from The Sun, including: "It is understood Robert [owner of Legacy] was out of the country when the funeral home was raided"

And: "Council officials in Hull and also East Riding, which covers Beverley, are now said to be carrying out inspections of all funeral homes across the area."

Inside funeral parlour with 35 bodies left to rot & families given wrong ashes

AS police tentatively pushed open the door to the rear of the funeral home the smell of decay hit immediately. Inside, they found 35 decomposing bodies, some not even in freezers. Many of the decea…

www.thesun.co.uk

it must have been someone who knew the owner was out of the country to blow the whistle. I wondered if initially it was the daughter but of course she's been arrested too if it was another staff member then they too would have been complicit, but there must be surely more than 2 staff members running the show. it's abhorrent how the deceased weren't even stored in freezers and that they had so little disreguard for the deceased. I do hope this situation brings all funeral directors into line to follow mandatory regulations and codes of conduct. A regulatory body also to inspect premises like resturants to ensure all proper processes are adhered to. My thoughts are with all the victims. It has certainly made me far more aware as a child of very elderly parents to ensure as much as I can that my loved ones receive the care and attention they and are family deserve.

 

[JustTryingToHelp]

it must have been someone who knew the owner was out of the country to blow the whistle. I wondered if initially it was the daughter but of course she's been arrested too if it was another staff member then they too would have been complicit, but there must be surely more than 2 staff members running the show. it's abhorrent how the deceased weren't even stored in freezers and that they had so little disreguard for the deceased. I do hope this situation brings all funeral directors into line to follow mandatory regulations and codes of conduct. A regulatory body also to inspect premises like resturants to ensure all proper processes are adhered to. My thoughts are with all the victims. It has certainly made me far more aware as a child of very elderly parents to ensure as much as I can that my loved ones receive the care and attention they and are family deserve.

Could be any number of people who blew the whistle. There's an adjoining business directly next door and, if it's as bad as reported, they could very well have seen/smelt signs. Horrific and horrible to think of - thoughts are with the families. It could also have been a postie or a member of casual staff - who doesn't usual see back of house - but was tasked with picking up and delivering a recently deceased person there (e.g. with the owner allegedly been out of the country). I'm a local and this has affected so many people. In terms of social connections Hull is more like a village than a city and most people know someone affected. The Hessle Road community, where the "Legacy Chapel" is located, is also tight-knit and very 'working class' and a big percentage from ex-fishing industry families. It seems there is much more to come out. JMO.

 

[JustTryingToHelp]

More news on this from the past 24 hours

Probe into horror funeral parlour is 'tip of iceberg', claims undertaker

A POLICE probe into the funeral parlour where 35 bodies were found is “the tip of the iceberg”, an undertaker has claimed. Michael Fogg said cut-price, no-frills funerals turned the industry into t…

www.thesun.co.uk

Mum found in funeral directors with hospital tag on 7 weeks after 'cremation'

Martin Stone's mum Susan has been identified as one of the 35 deceased recovered from Legacy Independent Funeral Directors

www.examinerlive.co.uk

'My mum's body was found at funeral directors seven weeks after we cremated her'

The mum has been identified as one of the 35 deceased recovered from Legacy Independent Funeral Directors

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk

Funeral industry must be regulated by law - undertakers' leader

Mark Horton calls for statutory regulation, following police investigation into Legacy Independent Funeral Directors

www.hulldailymail.co.uk

Funeral parlour where 35 bodies were found is 'the tip of the iceberg'

An emotional vigil was held at St Martin's Church in Hull , East Yorkshire, directly opposite the boarded up Anlaby Road branch of Legacy Family Funerals, which is under police investigation.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Crematorium looking to reassure community after 'horrific' funeral directors incident

The team at Birches Crematorium has organised an open day event to allow members of the public to be confident in the service they provide.

www.knutsfordguardian.co.uk