Funeral home at centre of ‘truly horrific’ police probe was also investigated for fraud under previous owner
14 March 2024, 08:37 | Updated: 14 March 2024, 08:43
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A funeral parlour at the centre of an investigation over an alleged scandal was also probed under its previous owner for fraud, it has been revealed.
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Legacy Independent Funeral Directors is the subject of an investigation after officers recovered 35 bodies and suspected human ashes from the Hull-based firm.
But now it has emerged that when the parlour was under its previous owner, known as Heavenly Services at the time, it had also been investigated by police over allegations of fraud.
Officers opened an investigation into Heavenly Services in November 2021 a month after it had collapsed following complaints from customers, The Sun reports.
Heartbroken customers told of how they had paid thousands of pounds to reserve plots for their loved ones only to find out the reservations had never been when they died.
Nikki McLoughlin discovered the plot she had paid £5,000 in advance for her dad Bernard Skerrett, 78, did not exist after he died from Covid in October 2021.
She said: "I feel physically sick. My dad would be turning. I dread to think what he is thinking up there."
The owner at the time, Simon Woolston, 51, was investigated for fraud, but police dropped the case after he died.
Officers said the two separate investigations at Heavenly Services and Legacy are not connected.
A Humberside Police spokeswoman said: "An investigation was carried out in November 2021 after we received reports from members of the public regarding the fraudulent use of monies intended for pre-paid funeral plans through the company Heavenly Services.
"Heavenly Services operated at the same premise on Hessle Road, Hull, as a separate company, Legacy funeral Directors, who we received a report of concern about the storage and management processes relating to care of the deceased in these locations."
This report was received March 6 and whilst we are in the early stages of our enquires, at this stage we do not believe the two investigations to be connected."
Legacy later took over the parlour in Hull.
It comes after it emerged on Wednesday that police have received more than 1,000 calls from bereaved relatives who fear they may have been affected by the latest investigation.
One woman has revealed she thinks she kissed an empty coffin at her father's funeral.
Billie-Jo Suffill, a mother of three from Hull, said she felt "physically sick" after not receiving her father's ashes.
The 33-year-old lost 52-year-old Andrew Suffill in July 2022, and her brother Dwane Suffill, 34, five days later.
She told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "I bet my dad was not even in the coffin - it was an empty coffin.
"I was kissing an empty coffin. When I think about it, it is disgusting.
"It's like something out of a horror movie.
"I wonder if this will stop at 35 bodies. I think my dad is one of them."
A friend of a widow told The Times newspaper the body of her late husband, which was supposed to have been cremated, was discovered in the firm's freezers eight months later.
The newspaper said three generations of the family had been wearing jewellery they believed had been made from his ashes.
The family friend said: "The widow is distraught.
"The family thought they had his remains and are now asking, 'If it's not him, then who is it?'
"They are now grieving again, they have lost that closure that a funeral gives you."
One widow who had what she believed were her husband’s ashes turned into jewellery has been told that his body was among those found.
The woman from Beverley, East Yorkshire was told by police that his body had been found in a freezer at Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull during a police raid.
Officers said that she needed to identify his body eight months on from his death last July.
The widow “paid quite a bit” to make the ashes into crystal jewellery for herself and other family members, including her late husband’s daughter and grand-daughter, but is now questioning whose ashes they are.
A friend of the widow's family told the Telegraph: “They then paid quite a bit of money to have the ashes turned into crystal jewellery for his widow, daughter and grand-daughter to wear to remember him.
Another man, Martin Stone, told the BBC he had been contacted by police, who said his mother Susan Stone's cremation never went ahead.
Mr Stone told the broadcaster the firm said the family could pick up her ashes within a couple of weeks.
He said: "If I had collected her, I'd have had somebody else's ashes, it wouldn't have been my mum."
Police remained at the firm's Hessle Road site on Wednesday and flowers had been left in front of the shuttered doors of the premises with messages such as "RIP you beautiful souls".
Deputy Chief Constable Dave Marshall, of Humberside Police, told reporters the force was investigating a "truly horrific incident" during a press conference on Tuesday.
Police previously arrested a 46-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman on suspicion of prevention of a lawful and decent burial, fraud by false representation and fraud by abuse of position.
The pair have been released on bail pending further inquiries.
Flowers continued to be laid at the site on Hessle Road on Wednesday morning after families from Hull and East Yorkshire took to social media to express their concerns over what may have happened to their relatives' bodies.
Assistant Chief Constable Thom McLoughlin told reporters: "We have now recovered a total of 35 deceased who have now been respectfully transported to the mortuary in Hull and formal identification procedures are now taking place.
"In addition, we have also recovered a quantity of what we suspect to be human ashes.
"We are in the process of carefully recovering all of those ashes and taking those to the mortuary."
The Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM), which provides training for those working within the bereavement services, called for funeral directors to be regulated after the probe was announced.
Humberside Police Assistant Chief Constable Thom McLoughlin said on Tuesday the deceased had been moved to a mortuary in Hull where they await formal identification.
Investigators are looking into concerns about the storage and management of the deceased at the company.
Humberside Police said 120 police staff are working on the case, which indicates "the sheer size and scale of the investigation".
Assistant Chief Constable Thom McLoughlin said on Sunday: "We can confirm that a man aged 46 and a woman aged 23 have been arrested on suspicion of prevention of a lawful and decent burial, fraud by false representation and fraud by abuse of position and remain in police custody at this time.
"As part of our investigation, as of today (Sunday March 10), we can confirm 34 deceased people have now been respectfully transported from Legacy Funeral Directors based on Hessle Road to the mortuary in Hull for formal identification procedures to take place.
"We continue to encourage anyone who has used Legacy Independent Funeral Directors and has concerns to call us on 0800 051 4674 or 0207 126 7619 if you are calling from abroad.
"Families affected continue to be supported by family liaison officers at what we appreciate is an extremely distressing time for all involved.
Victim Support also has a dedicated telephone line - 0808 168 9111 - which is available to anyone who is experiencing distress or concern and would like advice and guidance.
