A FATHER was shocked to discover his son’s ashes had been kept by a council for three years after he thought they had been scattered on his late wife’s crematorium plot.

Following the revelation that Brian Stamp's son Dean’s remains were still in a storeroom at Pleasington Cemetery, Blackburn with Darwen Council has revealed 50 more families may have been similarly affected.

The family has been visiting the plot in the crematorium grounds since the 48-year-old died of a heart attack in January 2016, believing his ashes had been scattered there by council staff.

Lancashire Telegraph:

His mother Megan’s ashes were spread on the plot two years earlier after her death from cancer aged 69 in January 2014.

Brian, 79, of Clarence Street, Darwen, received a letter last month from the council saying his son’s ashes ‘are currently being held at the crematorium awaiting further instructions’.

He said: “I was shocked. It’s very upsetting. It has brought it all back.

“The family had paid for the plot and put two headstones there.

“We have been visiting it to leave flowers for him for three years, only Dean wasn’t there.

“The family are all grieving again for both him and his mother.

READ > Named and shamed: Residents who refused to clean up disgusting mess outside homes

Lancashire Telegraph:

“Why did they wait three years and not contact some one straight away to find out what we wanted doing?

“It’s terrible 50 families are affected and are suffering like we are.”

Dean’s brother Darren Stamp, 39, said: “We are all shocked. It’s been very distressing for everyone in the family.”

Council bosses said Darwen Funeral Service, who handled the cremation, failed to fill in a form properly by omitting to say whether the family wished to witness the scattering.

But the funeral service co-owner Sheila Lysiuk said: “We believe we filled in the form correctly especially as it went on to say that on the seventh day after the cremation the ashes would be scattered anyway.

“If the crematorium staff were unsure, why did they not ring us up straight away rather than wait so long?

Lancashire Telegraph:

“It is beyond belief the crematorium has had Dean’s ashes for three years before doing anything about it. It is very distressing for the family.”

Following enquiries by the Lancashire Telegraph, Blackburn with Darwen Council environment director Martin Eden admitted around 50 families in the borough had been written to about ashes stored at Pleasington Crematorium of whom 20 had replied.

He said the remains had been kept ‘respectfully’ in named urns.

Cllr John Slater, leader of the borough council Conservative group, said: “This is quite shocking and upsetting for the families concerned. I hope that there will be an inquiry into this a lessons learned.”

Cllr Roy Davies, whose Darwen East ward includes Clarence Street, said: “This is deplorable. Why did they not just ring the funeral director or the family after seven days rather than wait three years?”

Lancashire Telegraph:

Mr Eden said: “On behalf of the council, I would like to sincerely apologise for any upset caused.

“Our officers had believed that they were acting in good faith, keeping the ashes safe until the family were ready to scatter them as we had been instructed.

“As soon as this issue was brought to our attention, we have done everything possible to try to resolve it as quickly and sensitively as possible.

“I’d like to reassure our residents that new measures have been introduced.

“This reinforces our requirement for clear instructions from all funeral directors with regards to how the ashes are to be collected or scattered and the time frame has now been reduced to one month.”