WRONG BODY BURIED IN SHOCKING GRAVESIDE MIX UP (From Wirral Globe)

WRONG BODY BURIED IN SHOCKING GRAVESIDE MIX UP

9:22am Wednesday 7th January 2009 in News Exclusive By Justin Dunn

WRONG BODY BURIED IN SHOCKING GRAVESIDE MIX UP

A FUNERAL firm has apologised to two families after first burying the wrong man - then exhuming the coffin without permission and secretly replacing it with the correct one.

The atrocious blunder by Co-op Funeralcare was made despite a vicar spotting that the coffin being lowered into the grave at Frankby Cemetery bore the completely wrong name.

He was also alerted by a seven-year age difference on the plaque and a crucifix emblem on the coffin - normally associated with Catholic burials and not the Anglican service he was conducting.

When Reverend Andrew Mannings discreetly raised his concerns - bluntly saying he believed there had been “a dreadful mistake” - the female funeral director instead insisted to him that the deceased had two names, and that the correct body had been buried.

But moments after the vicar and the bereaved family had left the graveside, the Co-op staff realised they had indeed made a terrible error.

They immediately arranged for the correct coffin to be brought in a hearse from their funeral home in Liscard Road, Wallasey - where both coffins had been lying in the chapel of rest - along with extra staff from their head office in Birkenhead’s Argyle Street to help swap them over.

The first coffin was then exhumed - in complete contravention of the Burial Act 1857 - and replaced with the correct one.

The man whose burial service had already taken place in his absence - with another person’s body in his grave - was then interred later that afternoon without a service, the vicar or any of his family present.

The coffin buried by mistake was returned to the chapel of rest in Wallasey, and the deceased cremated days later in a Catholic ceremony at Landican as planned.

Rev Mannings, the vicar at St Mary’s Church in Withens Lane, Wallasey, only learned of the shocking turn of events three days after the December 12 “burial” when embarrassed Co-op staff contacted him to own up.

He insisted immediately on conducting another burial service for the man who’d missed his own funeral and also made contact with the deceased’s family.

The Globe understands that a sexton - the council-employed official who attends funerals to ensure all legal paperwork is in order - has since been suspended by Wirral Council.

But all members of Co-op Funeralcare staff involved in the mix up are still working.

The Co-op told the Globe in a statement that it had apologised to both families and believed the matter had been settled “amicably”.

The Burial Act - designed to protect the sanctity of those who have passed away - does accomodate for when “from time to time, coffins are placed in the wrong grave”.

But it clearly states: “A licence will be required if they are to be removed and replaced in the correct grave.

“The question may arise as to whether a licence is needed in such circumstances, especially where the mistake has been identified during or immediately after the funeral.

“The Department for Constitutional Affairs understands that the remains should be regarded as buried on completion of the committal procedure and that therefore remains should not be removed after that point without a licence.”

A spokeswoman for Co-operative Funeralcare said: “Regrettably we can confirm that, as a result of an unfortunate error, the wrong deceased was taken for burial.

“This was noticed at the graveside. The deceased was immediately returned to the funeral home after the mourners had left the graveside.

“The correct deceased was subsequently interred and a private memorial service was offered to the family.

“We have apologised to both families and provided them with complete details of the incident and believe we have amicably settled the matter.

“We are currently carrying out an extensive investigation as to how this regrettable error occurred.

“We are aware of the legal regulations regarding burials and exhumation, however, at the time of the incident, all parties acted in good faith and in the best interests of both families concerned.

“The necessary steps have been taken to apply for an exhumation order, on a retrospective basis.”

A spokesman for the Diocese of Chester, Stephen Regan, said: “The Vicar of St Mary’s, Manor Lane, Liscard, the Revd Andrew Mannings, noticed that the coffin brought to the funeral was not the usual type for the burial of an Anglican. It featured a crucifix.

“When he saw that the nameplate bore a name different to that of the man being buried and a different age too, the vicar immediately went to see the sexton and pointed out that something appeared to be seriously wrong.

“What followed was a discussion involving the representative of the funeral directors who absolutely insisted that the coffin contained the body of the right man – and that the deceased man was simply known by two names.

“The funeral directors’ representative insisted that the man buried at Frankby Cemetery on Friday, December 12, was the right man.

“However, our vicar was very shocked to be told by the funeral director a few days later, that, in fact, a mistake had been made, and the wrong body had been brought to the funeral and buried – despite the vicar raising concerns.

“The Revd Mannings has been in touch with the grieving family since to comfort them and has conducted a new funeral service by the graveside where the correct body has now been buried.”