Mother Told Baby's Ashes Were Animal Remains

A mother who suffered a miscarriage has been told by police that ashes provided to her by funeral director Robert Bush were animal remains. Lucy Ness, 28, received the ashes three years ago following the loss of her baby. She had kept the urn, which featured a teddy bear design, on a shelf alongside her baby scan. The BBC understands that police were unable to confirm the origin of the ashes but believed they were not human.

Funeral Director Faces Sentencing

Robert Bush, 48, is due to be sentenced at Hull Crown Court for 67 offences. These charges include fraud and denying 30 families a proper burial. Prosecutors stated in court that the ashes given to Ms Ness could not have belonged to her baby. While the prosecutor, Chris Paxton KC, did not explicitly state the ashes were of animal origin, Ms Ness told the BBC that police had informed her they were animal remains.

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Ms Ness experienced the miscarriage shortly before her 12-week scan on 20 April 2021. She and her partner, Callum Ellerby, were informed their baby was cremated on 10 May 2021. The day after the scheduled cremation, Mr Bush contacted Ms Ness to collect the ashes. Humberside Police began investigating Mr Bush's company, Legacy Independent Funeral Directors, in March 2024 after receiving concerns. Ms Ness contacted a helpline set up by the force and was subsequently contacted by officers who informed her that the ashes in her possession could not be those of her baby. Police checks at the crematorium indicated Mr Bush collected the baby's ashes on 13 May, two days after he had given the urn to Ms Ness and Mr Ellerby.

“How can somebody with a duty of care do this to my family?”

Lucy Ness, Mother

Ms Ness expressed her disgust at Mr Bush's actions, questioning how someone with a duty of care could treat her family in such a manner. She stated that the events have significantly impacted her mental health. Mr Bush was arrested at Heathrow Airport after returning from a holiday. While he was not charged with denying Ms Ness's baby a burial due to the foetal age, Ms Ness believes all babies deserve recognition. She is now among those calling for greater regulation within the funeral industry, highlighting that professions with a duty of care, such as doctors and dentists, are regulated, but the funeral sector is not.

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Calls for Industry Regulation

Ms Ness stated her hope that her baby's remains are now with someone who loves them, as she did. She feels she will never know what truly happened to her baby's remains, suggesting Mr Bush may not know either due to his actions towards multiple families. The case has prompted discussions about the need for oversight and standards within funeral services.