Taxpayers money used to fund funeral of Cannock Chase child killer Raymond Morris

Raymond Morris, who was convicted of the Cannock Chase murders Credit: BPM Media

A former policewoman has expressed her outrage after learning that the Ministry of Justice used taxpayers' money to pay for the funeral of Cannock Chase child killer Raymond Morris.

The paedophile, convicted of murdering Christine Darby in 1967, died on May 11 last year, aged 84. He was also the prime suspect in the rape and murder of two other young girls – Margaret Reynolds and Diana Joy Tift.

Maureen Freeman, a retired police officer who spent 18 months tracking down the child killer, said she was horrified that taxpayers’ money was used to pay for Morris’ funeral.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) released details of the cost of Morris’ taxpayer-funded funeral in response to a Freedom of Information request.

The MoJ approved a total spend of £2,686 on the cremation of the killer including £15 on a floral tribute.

A spokesman for the MoJ said a single floral tribute provided on behalf of the prison service is considered a ‘reasonable cost’ in prisoner funeral arrangements.

The spokesman said: “If a prisoner dies in custody in England and Wales the governor or director of the prison in which the death occurred is able to offer a financial contribution to cover reasonable expenses for a basic funeral.

"Prison Service Instruction 64/2011 advises that prisons must offer to pay a contribution towards reasonable funeral expenses of up to £3,000. This is considered to be moral and decent in the circumstances."