Funeral bosses meet to 'restore faith' in industry

Funeral directors and industry bodies have met to discuss how to "restore faith".

Emma Hardy MP, who chaired Thursday's meeting in Hull, said some undertakers believe trust in their profession is now at an all-time low following the Legacy Independent Funeral Directors scandal.

Earlier this month, director Robert Bush, admitted hoarding bodies, giving families the wrong ashes and selling fake funeral plans. He will be sentenced on 27 July at Hull Crown Court.

Hardy, who has been campaigning for regulation of the funeral sector, said the meeting was necessary to "restore faith and give people confidence ahead of the sentencing hearing".

"We are taking action as a city and things are changing. We are leading, because it happened to us, in our city," she said.

The Hull West and Haltemprice MP added: "This happened to us, this happened to our community, the people living here, and I think we can turn that into showing the rest of the country actually how can we do this properly."

She said that one measure would be to have funeral parlours in the area inspected by an industry body "so we can give people that confidence".

Hardy said that the Legacy case has had an impact on local funeral directors.

"These people are professionals" she said.

"Many have been involved in family care for a long time. They see it as their vocation.

"They look after people when they're at their most vulnerable."

Thirty-five bodies and half a tonne of human ashes were discovered at Bush's premises, leading to what Humberside Police described as a complex and intricate investigation.

Kevin Moxon, of Moxon's Family Funerals, said grieving families "ask more questions" since the police investigation began in March 2024.

Moxon, whose business has branches in Hull and Scarborough, said he encourages fellow funeral directors to let families look around their premises "so that they can make an informed choice".

Paul Allcock, from the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors, said "it's sad that it comes to situations like this" [Legacy case] to prompt government intervention.

Allcock said that his organisation had, for a decade, been "crying out" to the government to regulate the industry.

"We have seen that there are issues in the industry that are causing problems," he said.

Hardy has been campaigning for regulation with families for almost two years.

Tristan Essex and Claire Stockdale, whose grandmother Jessie Stockdale was one of the 35 bodies discovered in Legacy's premises, accompanied Hardy to Downing Street.

Last week, Health Secretary Wes Streeting MP said his department would "take the lead" on regulating the industry.

Jasmine Beverley, whose stillborn son, Sunny was found in Legacy's premises almost two years after his funeral, said it was "shocking" to hear that the industry is not regulated.

"You just automatically assume that it is," said the mother-of-five.

She has also been campaigning for law changes.

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