How many more families must suffer before ministers clean up Britain's funeral care sector?

Ahead of his sentencing on Friday, the court heard hundreds of victim impact statements before his punishment was handed down. Bush did not just cut corners for financial gain. He willingly misled grieving families, desecrated the memory of their loved ones, and palpably harmed hundreds of individuals.

The sad fact is that this is only the most recent example in a litany of horrifying instances of malpractice in the funeral care sector. Elkin and Bell Funerals were found to have left bodies unrefrigerated and decomposing despite telling families cremation had already taken place. Robert Loveridge stole thousands of pounds in charitable donations at services. Amie Upton kept the body of a deceased baby in a baby bouncer in her living room. The actions of necrophile David Fuller shook the country in 2021.

Bush’s case can, however, serve as a turning point in how this country protects bereaved people and the dignity of those who have passed. Funeral care is the only care sector not to have a statutory regulator. The barrier to entry into the sector is currently as strenuous as gaining a Companies House listing. There is no regime of inspections, no minimum standards of practice in handling bodies, nor mandated background checks on staff.

The Scottish Government has already acted, establishing a funeral regulator in March 2025, making a welcome step towards stopping malpractice instead of simply punishing what has already happened. The rest of the UK must do the same.

When regulation is mentioned, concerns are fairly raised about what it might do to the already expensive costs of funerals if minimum standards are imposed. This is an understandable worry of the many families who have experienced the costly and draining process of dealing with a loved one’s death.

But rest assured, the good actors that serve the broad majority of the population already do have the relevant safeguards in place and factored into existing prices. Measures including CCTV, refrigeration, sufficient administrative capacity, and sufficient due diligence on new staff should and are integrated into most providers’ services.

The Government has recently published its response to the Fuller Inquiry, which recommended that proper regulation is implemented. However, this response failed to commit either way on the topic of regulation. We have been pleading that they be bold and enact a true programme of regulation that doesn’t wait for damage to be done before individuals are stopped.

Robert Bush should not have been allowed to operate as he did. The same goes for several before him. We need action now to stop further hurt.

Moments after Bush began his 20 year sentence the Government announced plans to crack down on rogue funeral directors. Let's hope this leads to effective action and no-one has to suffer like Bush's victims.

____________________

Dean Lamble is the CEO of Pure Cremation.

LBC Opinion provides a platform for diverse opinions on current affairs and matters of public interest.

The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official LBC position.

To contact us email opinion@lbc.co.uk