Legacy Independent Funeral Directors: Police contact families of the dead

Police say they have contacted the families of 35 people whose bodies were removed from a funeral home after concerns were raised about its care for the dead.

Officers from Humberside Police have also said more than 1,500 calls have been made to a special phone line set up as part of the investigation into Legacy Independent Funeral Directors, based in Hull.

An inquiry was launched after a complaint was made about the "storage and management processes relating to care of the deceased" on 6 March.

Thirty-five bodies, along with ashes, were subsequently removed from the home on Hessle Road in what police described as a "horrific incident".

In an update on Friday, Assistant Chief Constable Thom McLoughlin said: "Working in partnership with His Majesty’s Coroner, I can confirm that, whilst formal identification procedures are ongoing, we do believe we have contacted all families of the 35 deceased.

"My specialist trained officers continue to support the families involved at this extremely difficult time whilst lengthy enquiries are ongoing."

Along with a team of 120 police and civilian staff, experts from the National Crime Agency are involved in the investigation.

A police scene guard remains in place at Hessle Road, but searches finished on Thursday, Mr McLoughlin said.

“In the last seven days, we have received over 1,500 calls from those who have used Legacy Independent Funeral Directors," he added.

“I am aware that this has been a worrying time for our communities, and I want to thank them for their help and patience throughout the start of this investigation.

“This has truly been an awful incident and the families are understandably distraught and have many questions, and we are doing everything we possibly can to give them the answers they deserve."

He called on people not to "jeopardise" the investigation and and to "refrain from speculating".

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