Funeral director pleads guilty to 35 counts of fraud after human remains found at premises
Police said they received more than 2,000 calls on a dedicated phone line from families concerned about their loved ones’ ashes
A funeral director is to enter pleas to 65 charges spanning more than 10 years after a major investigation into human remains found at his premises.
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Robert Bush, 47, faces counts of preventing the lawful and decent burial of a body, relating to 30 different people, plus a range of other charges, after remains were found at one of Legacy Independent Funeral Directors’ sites in Hull.
Bush, who will appear at Hull Crown Court on Wednesday, is also charged with 33 counts of fraud by false representation, one count of fraudulent trading relating to funeral plans, and one of theft from a range of charities.
Most of the fraud by false representation charges relate to the proper care of remains and the return of ashes.
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Humberside Police launched an investigation into the funeral home after a report of “concern for care of the deceased” in March last year.
A month after the investigation started, the force said it had received more than 2,000 calls on a dedicated phone line from families concerned about their loved ones’ ashes.
Bush, who is on bail, was charged in April, after what officers said was a “complex, protracted and highly sensitive 10-month investigation” into the firm’s three sites in Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire.