15 March 2024 , 20:25
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A widow who paid for a double grave at the funeral firm being probed by police fears being buried next to a stranger instead of her late husband as planned.
Great-gran Rita Goldspink, 76, says she has been having sleepless nights since hearing of raids on Legacy Independent Funeral Directors. All 35 bodies police removed from the firm have been identified. Suspected human ashes were also found.
A 46-year-old man and 23-year-old woman have been released on bail after being arrested on suspicion of the prevention of a lawful and decent burial, fraud by false representation and fraud by abuse of position.
Anguished Rita arranged her husband Norman’s funeral with Legacy in 2017. He had died suddenly of a blocked artery aged 68. But now she has lost all faith that Legacy had Norman buried in the plot. She said: “I am scared. But I don’t want to have him dug up to see if it is. That would make it worse for me. I’d make myself ill. He’s at rest now.”
To make matters worse, Rita says the £2,700 Legacy policy she bought for her own funeral appears to have disappeared. Her daughter Rachel Marshall, 48, found the policy was missing when she checked with a third-party firm.
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Rita pictured with her husband, who she fears is not buried in their plot (Ben Lack Photography Ltd)
The couple on their wedding day in 1968 (Ben Lack Photography Ltd)Rita said: “I am heartbroken. It’s put my plan to be buried with my husband in tatters. I’ve lost £2,700 and the peace of mind of knowing my funeral was in order.
“I’m having sleepless nights with the worry of being able to get this money together again. I am on my own on a state pension and live in a council house.
“But worse than that, if I am buried in our plot, who knows who I will be buried with. It might not be my husband. And if it’s not my husband, then where is he?”
Investigations into Legacy Independent Funeral Directors are ongoing (AFP via Getty Images)Rita met Norman at a dance in Hull. They married in 1968. Both worked at British Aerospace, Norman as a fitter and Rita as a domestic. They had three children and Rita is now a gran of eight and great-gran of 11. Norman died just six months shy of their golden wedding anniversary.
Rachel is backing calls for the funeral industry to be regulated. She said: “You have belief that funeral directors are operating with integrity in a caring profession but this has revealed you can’t trust that.”
Humberside Police has received 1,500 calls on the firm based in Hull, East Yorks. The National Crime agency is now supporting the 120 officers working on the case.