Plans have been announced for a memorial for those affected by the Hull funeral home scandal.
Hull Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council have committed to creating a permanent place where families can remember their loved ones “in peace and tranquillity”.
A major police investigation is ongoing into Legacy Independent Funeral Directors after 35 bodies and suspected human ashes were recovered earlier this year.
Humberside Police have said they have spoken to 163 families in connection with the ashes.
Bereaved families in the area have been left questioning whether they have the remains of their loved ones.
A number have had confirmation they have the wrong remains, while some of the ashes will never be formally identified because cremation makes it impossible to extract DNA.
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Tracy Meyerhoff, Hull City Council’s director of adult social care, who is supporting the families and communities affected by the scandal, said people want a place to remember their loved ones “with dignity”.
“We recognise that it is important for people who have been affected by this very upsetting situation to have a permanent place where they can remember their loved ones in peace and tranquillity,” she said.
“We intend to create a place where people can feel close to their loved one’s memory with dignity and where our community can remember and reflect.
“It is essential that we take the time to get this right, and that bereaved families and our communities are very much involved in the process.”
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The councils said bereaved families will be consulted on design options for the memorial at an appropriate time.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s Angela Dearing confirmed the memorial would not be linked to any of the buildings involved in the scandal.
“Central to this is creating a safe and sensitively located space that isn’t linked to any of the buildings involved in this incident,” she said.
“Our families continue to remain the focus of any future plans.”
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A 46-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman have been released on bail after they were arrested earlier this year.
They were detained on suspicion of preventing a lawful and decent burial, fraud by false representation and fraud by abuse of position.
The man was also detained on suspicion of theft, making or supplying articles for use in frauds, and offences under the Financial Services Act.
Last month, police said a third person – a 54-year-old woman – had been arrested on suspicion of money laundering. She has also been bailed.
