UK funeral director faces prison after 31 uncremated bodies found in Hull

British funeral director Robert Bush faced prison on Monday after police found 31 bodies that should have been cremated months earlier at his premises in Hull, northeast England.

Bush, 48, previously pleaded guilty to 67 offences spanning 12 years and affecting hundreds of victims. The charges included preventing lawful and decent burial, theft and fraud.

Prosecutor Chris Paxton told Hull Crown Court at the start of a five-day sentencing hearing that police found the bodies in a cold storage area, including a stillborn baby who had been there for almost two years. Officers also found more than 100 sets of ashes.

Paxton said an ex-employee had described Bush's funeral parlour as "something from a horror scene". He said bodies were stored on racks on both sides of the room, and that most were uncovered and in varying states of decomposition.

Bush ran Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull. Paxton said Bush had been trusted by bereaved families but mistreated them on an "almost industrial scale".

Jasmine Beverley, whose son Sunny was stillborn in May 2022, told BBC radio that Bush had appeared respectful and that it was a shock to learn what had happened. She said Sunny's remains were found in a brown envelope on the floor, even though she had believed he had been cremated.

Police began investigating in March 2024 after being contacted by someone with concerns about "the deceased" at the business. The sentencing hearing is expected to hear statements from more than 100 victims.

Beverley and other families are campaigning for changes to funeral parlour regulation.