British police remove 34 bodies from England funeral home; 2 arrested for fraud, preventing burial

More than 30 bodies were removed from a funeral home in northern England and two people were arrested Sunday for alleged fraud and preventing a lawful burial, Humberside police announced.

The announcement came after a five-day investigation at three branches of Legacy Funeral Directors in Hull and East Yorkshire.

Assistant Chief Constable Thom McLoughlin said 34 bodies were transported to a mortuary in Hull to determine their identities.

Two people – a 46-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman – were arrested on allegations of preventing a lawful and decent burial, fraud by false representation and fraud by abuse of position. The identities of the two suspects were not made publicly available.

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Two people were arrested for alleged fraud and preventing a lawful burial after 34 bodies were removed from a branch of Legacy Funeral Directors in northern England. (AP)

Police said 350 people have reached out to them since Friday after they asked families who lost loved ones to contact investigators with concerns.

"Please be reassured that my staff and officers are working around the clock to deal with the unprecedented inquiries generated as a result of this incident," McLoughlin said. "Families affected continue to be supported by family liaison officers at what we appreciate is an extremely distressing time for all involved."

The funeral home's website said it was family-operated and expanded after being established in 2010. The last update posted on the website was from 2021, when it said that services would continue despite uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. The business also said in this update that it was planning to open a fourth branch.

"As an independent funeral director, we are able to create a unique farewell for loved ones, with more flexibility and less constraint than our competitors," the website said. "With such breadth of experience, you and your family are assured the best service and care available."

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Police stand outside the Hessle Road branch of Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull, England, on Saturday, March 9. (AP)

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This comes after several cases in the U.S. of funeral home operators being arrested after dozens of bodies and cremated remains were found on their properties.

Last year, nearly 200 decaying bodies were discovered piled up in a bug and maggot-infested funeral home in Colorado. The owners of the funeral home face hundreds of charges, including abuse of a corpse. Prosecutors said some relatives had received fake ashes instead of the cremated remains of their loved ones.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.