34 bodies removed from English funeral home; 2 arrested for fraud,preventing burial

abcnews.go.com:

Police in northern England say they have removed 34 bodies from a funeral home and arrested a man and woman on suspicion of fraud and preventing lawful burials

LONDON — Nearly three dozen bodies were removed from a funeral home in northern England, and a man and woman were arrested Sunday on suspicion of fraud and preventing a lawful burial, police said.

Humberside Police announced the developments after five days of investigation at three branches of Legacy Funeral Directors in Hull and East Yorkshire.

Assistant Chief Constable Thom McLoughlin said 34 bodies had been taken to a mortuary in Hull for identification.

A 46-year-old man and 23-year-old woman, whose identifies weren't disclosed by authorities, were arrested on suspicion of preventing a lawful and decent burial, fraud by false representation and fraud by abuse of position.

No other details were available about the nature of the suspected crimes.

Police said 350 people had contacted them since Friday after they asked families who had lost loved ones to contact investigators if they had concerns.

“Please be reassured that my staff and officers are working around the clock to deal with the unprecedented inquiries generated as a result of this incident," McLoughlin said. “Families affected continue to be supported by family liaison officers at what we appreciate is an extremely distressing time for all involved."

A website for the business said it was family run and had been established in 2010 and then expanded. The last news update on the website — from 2021 — said that despite uncertainty with COVID-19 services could continue and it was planning to open a fourth branch.

“As an independent funeral director, we are able to create a unique farewell for loved