Statement from Jeremy Field OBE, Co-CEO of CPJ Field, as sentencing begins in the Legacy Independent Funeral Directors case at Hull Crown Court.
Our first thoughts are with the families affected by the events that took place in Hull. The people they loved were left without care or dignity. Some families have spent more than two years not knowing whose ashes they held. Nothing said in court can undo that. We hope this week brings them answers and some peace.
The man who ran Legacy Independent Funeral Directors has admitted 67 offences, including preventing the lawful and decent burial of 30 people. Funeral directing in England, Wales and Northern Ireland has no statutory regulation, so it fell to the criminal law to hold him to account. It is right that it has.
That gap is why we have been active members of the National Association of Funeral Directors for generations. In the course of lobbying on behalf of the profession, we contributed evidence to Phase 2 of the Fuller Inquiry and supported its recommendations. We are interested to read about the progress on the inquiry recommendations that the Government has set out to Parliament, and we look forward to its full response on the report’s findings. Ensuring that funeral directors deserve the trust and confidence the public places in us is essential. Whatever framework the Government chooses, we will help make it work.
Until then, voluntary standards are what the sector has. We are members of the National Association of Funeral Directors and Selected Independent Funeral Homes, and we open our doors to independent inspection by choice. Those standards only go as far as the firms that sign up to them.
If you are arranging a funeral, you may ask any funeral director to show you where your person will rest, and who will care for them. You are not being difficult. A good funeral director will be glad you asked. Our family has done this work since 1690, under one family motto, Care Above All. Our doors are open. They always have been.
Finally, anyone impacted by these events can find dedicated support, including a Victim Support helpline, through Hull City Council or by calling 0808 281 1136.
Jeremy Field OBE DipFD