On the 23rd of April, my life changed forever when I lost my dad. As a family, we trusted a funeral director with the honour of caring for Dad. But instead of looking after him, they left his body to decompose, failing to provide even the most basic care. I didn't even get to say my final goodbye.

I was so outraged and upset - right now, there is no regulation of funeral directors - they are not even required to have a fridge. 

It really is a free for all. This creates a culture of profit over consistent care, numbers over compassion. They record this neglect and abuse in their own reports because there is no one to audit them. They aren’t breaking any law. They have no consequences.

The funeral directors have the option to join a voluntary association, they claim to follow their code but there is no recourse for when things go wrong. The strongest sanction available is expulsion, that’s if they decide to investigate at all. 

I can’t be at peace knowing other families are at risk of their loved ones being treated the same. 

Funerals in the UK need to be regulated and associations like the National Association of Funeral Directors need to have power to inflict real sanctions on companies and incite change from the top. That is the only way to ensure no one is ever mistreated and neglected like my Dad was.

My dad was the proudest, most loyal man - he deserved dignity and respect on his journey to his final resting place. We can’t change what’s happened in the past but we can use his legacy to make sure regulation is put in place going forward.

Please sign my petition and help me get this to parliament to incite change and make the funeral industry follow simple guidelines for the care of our loved ones. 

If anyone can offer support or would like to share there experience directly I can be contacted at; regulatefuneralsnow@gmail.com