Lancashire funeral home inspection findings revealed

More than 50 Lancashire funeral homes have so far been inspected after the government recommended local councils check up on the undertakers operating in their area.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) can reveal no concerns have been raised following the visits so far carried out across the county.

However, the majority of Lancashire’s local authorities are yet to complete – or even begin – the inspections, while two have said they have no plans to do them at all.

The Ministry of Justice wrote to all councils with environmental health responsibilities in April and strongly suggested they assess the funeral parlours in their patch in order to ensure they were caring for the deceased properly.

It came in the wake of a police investigation into Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull.  In March this year, 35 bodies were removed from the firm’s premises after concerns brought to the attention of detectives.   Ashes were also recovered, which it later emerged could not be identified – potentially affecting more than 160 families.

The LDRS asked the 14 district and unitary authorities in Lancashire how many funeral homes they had inspected in the six months since the government advice was issued – and what they had found.

Of the 10 who responded before publication, four councils – Blackpool, Fylde, Rossendale and Wyre – have completed their visits and say that no action needs to be taken against any of the businesses in question.

Hyndburn Council has almost finished its inspections, while Pendle Council is just under halfway through its list – and neither local authority has found anything of concern.

Lancaster City Council has begun inspecting and expects to complete the work by the end of year, while Preston City Council is poised to carry out the necessary checks in the coming months.

However, Chorley and South Ribble councils say that instead of visiting funeral homes across the two boroughs to assess their practices, they are recommending the firms join a trade association for the sector in order to maintain good standards.

Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Ribble Valley and West Lancashire councils have not yet provided the information requested by the LDRS.

There is no mandatory funeral home inspection regime currently in place in the UK.  Last week, the chair of an inquiry into the standard of such businesses said people are “shocked” to find that funeral services are unchecked and that anyone can set themselves up as a funeral director – potentially even keeping “the bodies of the deceased in their garage without anybody being able to stop them”.

An interim report by Sir Sir Jonathan Michael, who is leading the David Fuller Inquiry, said such a situation “cannot be right”.

‘NO CONCERNS’

The government said the recommended local authority inspections of funeral homes should focus on four areas – hygiene, premises condition and capability; traceability and transparency;  the level of dignity observed and the condition of the deceased; and pre-paid funeral plans and general financial processes.

This is what each of the Lancashire councils so far to have responded about their inspection findings had to say:

Blackpool

A spokesperson said:  “During the summer, we inspected funeral directors across Blackpool in light of distressing findings elsewhere in the country.

“We would like to say a huge thank you to all 10 premises that we attended during this time. Our teams were met with a warm professionalism that is key to the success within this industry.

“The standards of best practice were excellent. Those cared for by these local funeral directors are evidently treated with respect and dignity.”

Chorley

Cllr Bev Murray, executive member for early intervention, said:  “While there is currently no statutory regulatory regime in place specifically for the funeral director sector, we are of the view that in the absence of a statutory regime and in response to the incident in Hull and East Riding, voluntary membership of a trade association would be advantageous both in terms of improving public confidence in the sector and in achieving improved systems and processes.

 “We have written to all of our funeral directors to seek their support with this approach and to encourage them to join one of those associations if they have not already done so.”

Fylde

A spokesperson said:  “Over a three-week period in June, we conducted visits to 12 funeral homes. As there is no national mandatory registration scheme for funeral directors, we worked from a comprehensive list of funeral directors registered with the National Association of Funeral Directors and the Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors, along with the knowledge of our colleagues at the crematorium.

“The visits were both insightful and informative. During each visit, we were given a thorough tour of the premises and had the opportunity to ask questions about their processes. We were impressed by the level of pride and professionalism exhibited by the funeral directors, who were welcoming and eager to share their practices with us.

“All the premises we visited were in good condition and we did not encounter any serious concerns. The funeral homes varied in size, with some being extensions of private homes and others purpose-built facilities.

“Some premises had refrigeration units for the deceased, while others used air-conditioned cold rooms. Despite these differences, all funeral directors followed proper identification protocols, ensuring that the deceased were treated with care and respect.

“We believe there is a need for greater regulation in the funeral industry, including mandatory inspections to maintain high standards. In particular, we feel that there should be consistent requirements regarding refrigeration practices to ensure that the deceased are kept cool in all funeral homes, and we have reported this back to the Ministry of Justice.”

Hyndburn

Of the 16 funeral directors in the borough, 14 have so far been visited by the council, one more is due to be inspected and another is not currently operating.   A spokesperson said:  “Overall, satisfactory standards were found.”

Lancaster

A spokesperson said: “We have identified 11 funeral directors within the Lancaster district and we work closely with the Lancashire coroner’s office to ensure good practices are upheld.

“In line with the request from the Ministry of Justice, visits to each premises have begun and will be completed by the end of the year.”

Pendle

A spokesperson said:  “We’ve visited five of the 12 [funeral homes] in Pendle. No issues [have been] identified so far and we expect to have visited all sites by the end of the year.

Preston

A spokesperson said; “Preston City Council’s environmental health department received a request from the Ministry of Justice in April this year to undertake visits of funeral directors’ premises trading within the Preston district, in response to events in Hull and East Riding.

“Preston City Council have undergone the appropriate training and prepared visit checklists relating to the funeral director sector – and is in a position to carry out visits in the coming months. We want to reassure the public that the sector is safe and professional, and cares for loved ones in a way that we would want and expect.

 “The environmental health team have not been involved in the criminal case in Preston.”

In May 2022, Nigel Robinson‑Wright, who worked at a funeral home in the city, was jailed for 17 years for a range of offences.  His trial heard he had posed next to the bodies of naked corpses and encouraged another man to have sex with one of them.

Rossendale

Nine funeral homes were checked over the summer and a spokesperson said “no action was needed [or] taken [against] any of them”.

South Ribble

Jennifer Mullin, the council’s director of communities and housing, said, “In response to the incident in Hull and East Riding, we intend to write to all the funeral directors in the borough to encourage them to take voluntary membership of a sector trade organisation in lieu of a statutory process if they have not already done so.

“By being in support of this approach and by being a member of such an organisation, following their guidance, our local funeral directors can access ongoing support in relation to codes of conduct and standards.”

Wyre

A spokesperson said:  “As a result of the investigation into Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull and East Riding by Humberside Police, all councils were requested to visit funeral directors’ premises within their local authority area.

 “This followed action taken by councils in Hull and East Riding and was supported by the National Association of Funeral Directors and the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors.  Both organisations have codes of conduct that members must follow in relation to standards of treatment of deceased people.

“This important additional work has been undertaken by the council’s environmental health team in May and June 2024, with a total 16 premises being inspected within Wyre representing 12 different companies.

“Under the four inspection categories set by [the government], officers did not find any issues of significant concern, with only verbal advice provided.

“At present, there are no further actions for the council as a result of this investigation.”