Police recover multiple urns from funeral directors amid probe into missing ashes

Multiple urns have been recovered from a funeral firm at the centre of an investigation into the alleged mismanagement of cremated remains and funds.

A total of 19 caskets of ashes were recovered from the Glasgow branch of A Milne Independent Funeral Directors following a police search and were handed into the care of the city council.

Argyll and Bute Council has received eight containers of ashes as part of the inquiry. However, Police Scotland would not confirm whether they were from the 19 urns found in Glasgow or separately recovered from A Milne’s old Dumbarton office in West Dunbartonshire.

The police probe – Operation Koine – was launched following a number of complaints, including one from a grieving daughter who said the ashes she had been given months earlier from the firm were the remains of a stranger and not those of her mother.

Glasgow City Council said the ashes found in the Balornock Road premises have been returned to where the respective cremations took place so the relevant families can be contacted – a task that will be undertaken by the local authority and three other crematoria.

Four caskets remain unidentified.

A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: “Four caskets are as yet unidentified and we will require direction from the Scottish government inspector on burials, cremations and funeral directors on the approach to take with these four caskets.

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“Anyone who has queries about ashes should contact the crematorium where the cremation took place.

“As this matter is the subject of a police investigation it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”

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Argyll and Bute Council said it had received eight containers of ashes, which have been returned to Cardross Crematorium.

The council said all affected families have been contacted.

‘Emotive case’

A spokesperson said: “They will remain in our safekeeping until they can be returned to the applicants for cremation.”

Police Scotland has described the firm as a “former funeral company” and said “enquiries are ongoing to establish any criminality”.

Its branch in Dumbarton appears to have closed, but its Glasgow office was still registered as operating in March.

Detective Inspector Gerry Shovlin previously said: “This is a very sensitive and emotive case and we recognise the upset and distress that families have experienced.

“Our investigation has been going on for several weeks now and will continue for some time, due to the level of enquiry that will need to be followed up.”

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A Milne Independent Funeral Directors was contacted for comment.

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