A British funeral director is facing prison after authorities discovered 31 bodies that had not been cremated as promised, while grieving families were allegedly given the ashes of other people.

Robert Bush, 48, appeared before Hull Crown Court on Monday for the start of a five-day sentencing hearing over a case that has shocked the United Kingdom and prompted calls for tighter regulation of the funeral industry.

Prosecutor Chris Paxton told the court that police, acting on a tip-off, searched Bush’s funeral home and found 31 bodies in cold storage that should have been cremated months earlier, including the body of a stillborn baby that had remained there for almost two years. Officers also recovered more than 100 sets of ashes.

“There were bodies stored on the racks on both sides of the room. The vast majority were uncovered and in varying states of decomposition,” Paxton told the court.

Bush, who operated Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull, has pleaded guilty to 67 offences committed over a 12-year period, affecting hundreds of families.

One of the victims, Jasmine Beverley, said she believed her stillborn son, Sunny, had been cremated after his funeral in May 2022, only to discover nearly two years later that his remains had been left at the funeral home.

“It was a shock to learn what had actually been going on behind the closed doors,” she said.

She added that finding her son’s remains in the funeral home was deeply distressing and has since joined other affected families in calling for stronger regulation of funeral services.

According to prosecutors, Bush betrayed the trust of bereaved families by mistreating the deceased on an “almost industrial scale.”

Police launched an investigation in March 2024 after receiving information raising concerns about the handling of bodies at the business.

The court is expected to hear impact statements from more than 100 victims during the sentencing hearing.

Bush has admitted offences including preventing lawful and decent burial, theft and fraud, with four fraud charges relating to falsely presenting ashes to women as the remains of their unborn children.