Police at a horror funeral home investigated the second salon in a ‘horrific’ investigation as 35 bodies and human ashes were uncovered – The Sun
Police at the center of a ‘truly horrific’ funeral home fraud investigation investigated a second salon, we can reveal.
Officers have been recovered 35 bodies and a quantity of human ashes during a raid at Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in HullEast York.
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a 46 year old man and a 23 year old woman arrested in connection with the investigation has been released on bail.
We can now reveal that a second firm, Heavenly Services, was also investigated by police in Hull fraud claims.
The police launched a crime investigation in Heavenly Services in November 2021 after receiving customer complaints a month after it collapsed.
Among them was devastated Nikki McLoughlin who discovered the plot her father, Bernard Skerrett, 78, had paid for in advance did not exist.
She told how she and her wife, Veronica, paid £5,000 for funeral services through Heavenly.
But when he died of Covid in October 2021, the family was heartbroken to discover that no plot had been reserved.
She said, “I feel physically ill. My father would turn away. I dread to think what he’s thinking up there.”
And grieving Sonya Smith claimed that Heavenly Services contacted her to have her partner ‘picked up’ after they went bankrupt.
Heavenly’s owner, Simon Woolston, 51, was investigated but the case was dropped after he died.
Legacy later took over Heavenly’s premises in Hessle Road.
A spokeswoman for Humberside Police said: “An investigation was carried out in November 2021 after we received reports from members of the public regarding the fraudulent use of funds intended for pre-paid funeral plans through the company Heavenly Services.
“Heavenly Services operated in the same premises on Hessle Road, Hull, as a separate company, Legacy Funeral Directors, from whom we received a report of concerns about the storage and management processes relating to the care of the deceased at these locations.
“This report was received on March 6 and although we are in the early stages of our investigation, we do not believe at this stage that the two investigations are related.”
She added: “An advisory file was prepared for the Crown prosecutor (CPS) for the Heavenly Service investigation to assess whether charges can be laid.
“However, the business owner who was a suspect has died, and the CPS does not make a charging decision in a case where a suspect has died.”
‘REALLY horrible’
Humberside Deputy Chief Constable Dave Marshall said officers continued to support families at this “extremely difficult and worrying time”.
He added: “This has been a truly horrific incident and they are understandably distraught and have many questions to be answered.”
Thom McLoughlin, Assistant Chief Constable of Humberside Police, who is leading the investigation, said: ‘To date we are pursuing extensive lines of inquiry and have dedicated search and forensic teams carrying out thorough searches.
“I recognize that this is a distressing time for all those affected and I have no doubt that this will have a significant impact on all our local communities and beyond.”
The recovered bodies have since been taken to a local mortuary where “formal identification procedures can take place”.
Documents showed the funeral directors had been on the brink of being struck off the Companies House register for two years.
The company’s accounts are currently in arrears and the company has received its fifth public warning that it is facing a ‘mandatory strike’.
I feel physically ill. It would be my father’s turn. I dread to think what he’s thinking up there
Nikki McLoughlin, who used Heavenly Services for her father’s funeral
Since January 2022, the undertaker has been receiving warnings that proceedings will begin to dissolve the company and inform creditors that it is not meeting its financial obligations.
Each time the company has been granted a reprieve and the mandatory strike action has been stopped.
But another First Gazette Notice has just been issued against the company, issued by Companies House to indicate its intention to cease trading.
On its website, Legacy proudly promises “the best service and care available.”
It says: “Established in 2010, we have grown from our original branch in Anlaby Rd to a further 2 branches including our funeral home in Beverley, East Yorkshire and our newest branch on Hessle Road, Hull.
“Our structure allows us to provide a dedicated and unsurpassed personal service.
“As an independent funeral director, we are able to create a unique farewell for loved ones, with more flexibility and less coercion than our competitors.
“With such a breadth of experience, you and your family are assured of the best service and care available.”
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