A man and woman have been arrested on suspicion of prevention of lawful and decent burial after police removed 34 bodies from a funeral parlour in Hull.
The 46-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman were also arrested on suspicion of fraud by false representation and fraud by abuse of position, Humberside police said.
Concerns were raised earlier this week about “storage and management processes relating to care of the deceased” at Legacy Independent Funeral Directors, a chain of three funeral parlours.
Police said the bodies were “respectfully transported” from Legacy’s Hessle Road branch to the city’s mortuary for formal identification.
“We can confirm 34 deceased people have now been respectfully transported from Legacy funeral directors based on Hessle Road to the mortuary in Hull for formal identification procedures to take place,” Asst Ch Const Thom McLoughlin said. “Since the report on Wednesday 6 March, cordons remain in place at all three Legacy Independent Funeral Directors premises.”
A helpline has been set up for anyone worried about their loved ones’ treatment at the funeral director.
“The dedicated phone line remains open and has received over 350 calls from concerned members of the public since Friday. We continue to encourage anyone who has used Legacy Independent Funeral Directors and has concerns to call us on 0800 051 4674, or 0207 126 7619 if you are calling from abroad.
“Each call we receive is being carefully handled and delicately assessed by a specialist team to ensure we have a thorough understanding of each family’s circumstances. We will get back to each and every one of you as soon as we can.
“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.
“Families affected continue to be supported by family liaison officers at what we appreciate is an extremely distressing time for all involved. These officers are also working closely with our partners to ensure that families are provided with the most appropriate care and support for their personal circumstances whilst our investigation continues.”
