Grieving mother told baby's ashes were animal remains

A mother who suffered a miscarriage in April 2021 was given ashes she believed were her baby's, only to discover years later they were likely animal remains. Ness had kept the ashes in a white china urn with a teddy bear on her shelf for three years, alongside her baby scan.

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They had sat on my shelf next to my baby scan.

In court, prosecutor Chris Paxton KC stated that the ashes Lucy Ness was given "could not have been those of her baby." While the barrister did not explicitly confirm they were animal remains, Ness told the BBC that police had informed her they were. She expressed disgust at the funeral director, asking, "How can somebody with a duty of care do this to my family?"

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the ashes that Lucy was given could not have been those of her baby.

Ness and her partner, Callum Ellerby, were told their baby was cremated on May 10, 2021. However, the funeral director, Bush from Legacy Independent Funeral Directors, contacted Ness the following day to collect the ashes. Police began investigating Legacy in March 2024 after receiving concerns. Officers contacted Ness, informing her that records at the crematorium showed Bush collected the baby's ashes on May 13, two days after he had given Ness and Ellerby the urn. Ness stated the ordeal has significantly impacted her mental health.

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