Inquiry may have stopped Legacy scandal, mum says

A mother who was wrongly told there were no ashes to bury after her baby was cremated said a public inquiry might have prevented a later scandal at the Legacy funeral home in Hull.

Tina Trowhill was one of 57 families who were not given their child's remains more than a decade ago by Hull City Council.

The bereaved families were told no remains were left after cremations. However, an internal investigation by the council in 2017 found "ashes were always produced".

Trowhill said if a public inquiry had been held then, "it may have identified some of the issues and Legacy may not have gone on for as long as it did or happen".

The ashes of Trowhill's child and others were later scattered without their knowledge.

In its report, the council apologised and admitted "inconsistencies" in its records.

In July, funeral director Robert Bush was jailed for 20 years after admitting 67 offences, including failing to bury or cremate people and giving bereaved relatives the ashes of strangers.

Passing sentence at Hull Crown Court, Judge Mr Justice Hilliard raised concerns over the oversight of the Legacy Independent Funeral Service by local councils.

"The proper procedures under the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 do not, on the information I have been provided with, appear to have been followed," the judge said.

"Once the Registrar issues a certificate for burial or cremation when a relative reports a death, one part of it should be returned to the Registrar confirming when and where burial or cremation took place."

He added "the relevant parts of the forms were never returned to the Registrar".

"When there is a non-return, the Registrar should contact the General Register Office. That did not happen in this case."

Trowhill said the judge's comments "brought up about again incorrect paperwork going to the crematorium and this clearly was an issue with the baby ashes scandal".

"I absolutely feel for the families," she said.

"It's horrendous what the families must have been through. I can't imagine what they're going through.

"But I think why I'm frustrated is had they had the inquiry when we originally asked, it may have identified some of the issues and Legacy may not have gone on for as long as it did, or happen."

Trowhill and Labour MP Dame Diana Johnson met with council leader Mike Ross and other officials on Friday to press again for a public inquiry into the baby ashes incident.

Speaking afterwards, Dame Diana said: "I think if there'd been that independent look at what had happened in the baby ashes scandal, that might have highlighted and shown where the problems were with paperwork."

Hull City Council said it welcomed the meeting.

"We would once again express our deepest sympathy to all the families affected by this issue in Hull and around the country," a spokesperson said.

"The processes relating to the historic handling of baby ashes and the more recent Legacy Funeral Directors scandal were materially different, and an inquiry into the handling of baby ashes would not have prevented Robert Bush's criminal actions.

"Since the baby ashes issues were brought to Hull City Council's attention, the authority has done everything the Ministry of Justice requested in relation to this very sensitive matter, including meeting with representatives from the Action for Ashes group, as well as MPs and the minister who had responsibility for this area.

"The government concluded that they were satisfied with how the council have responded."

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