Billie-Jo Suffill lost her father and brother within five days of each other
By Jessica Lane & Eleanor Maslin
BBC News
A grieving woman says she feels “physically sick” after the funeral directors used by her family came under police investigation.
Police removed 34 bodies from Legacy Independent Funeral Directors on Hessle Road in Hull following “concern for care of the deceased”.
Billie-Jo Suffill, from Hull, used the firm for the cremations of her brother and father, who died in 2022.
She says she “never received” her dad’s ashes and wants answers.
Image source, Billie-Jo Suffill
Billie-Jo said she never received her dad’s ashes
Humberside Police transported the bodies to another mortuary in the city, after receiving a report on 6 March of concerns about the “storage and management processes relating to care of the deceased”.
Cordons are also in place at the firm’s branches in Hessle Road and Anlaby Road in Hull, and in Beverley.
A 46-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman are in custody on suspicion of prevention of a lawful and decent burial, fraud by false representation and fraud by abuse of position.
Image source, PA Media
The bodies have been removed from the Hessle Road branch of Legacy Independent Funeral Directors
Ms Suffill, 33, sadly lost her father Andrew Suffill at the age of 52 on July 9, 2022, and her brother Dwane Suffill, 34, five days later on July 14.
She used Legacy Independent Funeral Directors for the cremation services and says she “never received” her dad’s ashes.
“It’s not human, it’s not normal,” she said. “It’s not something you hear, not in Hull, not in our little town, it’s crazy.”
‘Something out of a horror movie’
Humberside Police set up two helpline numbers for anyone worried about the news – one from within the UK and one for people who are abroad.
Ms Sufffill spoke to the helpline and said: “They just asked me questions, like if I knew about distinctive tattoos and scars. Obviously not seeing my dad’s ashes is a bit concerning now when I think about it.”
The mum-of-three said the situation makes her feel “physically sick”, and described it as “like something out of a horror movie”.
“The thoughts in my head have been overwhelming. I just want answers now, I need to know,” she added.
A total of £1,219 was raised on GoFundMe to go towards the funerals in 2022.
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