Flowers left at funeral home in Hull raided by police as families wait for answers
Three branches of the business were searched by officers after concerns were raised about "storage and management processes relating to care of the deceased".
Wednesday 13 March 2024 20:55, UK
People have been laying flowers outside the premises of a funeral director where police removed 35 bodies and suspected human ashes following a raid.
It comes after a man, 46, and a woman, 23, were arrested on suspicion of prevention of a lawful and decent burial, fraud by false representation and fraud by abuse of position.
They have since been released on bail while the investigation into Legacy Independent Funeral Directors, in Hull, East Yorkshire, continues.
More than 120 police staff are working on the case, while family and friends have made over 1,000 calls to a special phone line.
Many are desperate for answers amid concerns about how the business was handling remains.
Dozens of bunches of flowers had been left outside Legacy's premises by Wednesday afternoon.
Some had messages, including one wishing families "peace and comfort" and the "courage to go on".
Another read simply: "RIP You beautiful souls."
Hundreds of families have serious concerns over what police have called an "intricate" and "truly horrific incident".
A woman whose husband's cremation was organised by Legacy told Sky News she feels "numb" amid the wait for answers.
Louisa Millington arranged her husband Carl's cremation after he died last November at the age of 42.
She told Sky News: "It's like being in sinking mud to be honest. It's like, although I've lost Carl, I just feel like I'm still trudging, just waking up for another day, and another day, and you're still waiting to find out what's going on.
"I can't cry, I can't get angry. I just genuinely feel numb. I just don't know what to think. I just really don't know."
Billie-Jo Suffill, 33, told the Daily Mirror she felt "physically sick" because she never received her father's ashes.
"I bet my dad was not even in the coffin - it was an empty coffin," she said.
"I was kissing an empty coffin. When I think about it, it is disgusting. It's like something out of a horror movie."
The 35 bodies were recovered on Friday and Saturday, before being moved to a Hull mortuary for identification.
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Three branches of the business were raided - two in Hull and one in nearby Beverley - after concerns about "storage and management processes relating to care of the deceased".
Police said on Tuesday that recovery of the suspected ashes was ongoing, along with searches of "various business premises".
Legacy Independent Funeral Directors is a family-run business established in 2010, according to its website. It has yet to comment publicly.