A Hull funeral director has been accused by a woman of holding her father’s ashes hostage for two years, two years after he died.
Mikala Hill, 33, claims she is still waiting for Heavenly Services to release her father Russell Hill’s ashes, after he died aged 58 following a stroke and battling muscular dystrophy in September 2019.
She is now afraid she may never receive the ashes back. A representative of the company left her a voicemail informing her to collect them, or risk them being stored.
“It’s a possession. It’s almost like holding him hostage. Ms Hill said that she did not want him to be locked in a closet. It has made me feel very upset. I’m still here now, without my father.
“I can’t grieve, and I can’t lay him to rest, it has left me empty.”
Heavenly Services faces uncertain times. According to local media, Humberside Police is currently investigating the company for fraud allegations.
One woman claims she was told to collect her husband’s remains from the morgue by the company, while another woman claims that the funeral director didn’t book a plot for her father.
Mikala Hill (left), claims she is still waiting on Heavenly Services for Russell Hill’s ashes to be released (right).
Humberside Police is currently investigating Heavenly Services for fraud allegations. Local media reported that several customers are expressing discontent with the company.
Ms Hill claims she paid £1,650 in total to Heavenly Services in monthly instalments after being advised to pay that way by a staff member, despite having the money to pay outright.
“While I was paying, I thought he was safe and sound.” After receiving a phone call last week asking her to pick up the ashes, I was disappointed they wouldn’t give him back. But there wasn’t much I could do.
“They wouldn’t give them his ashes because they didn’t pay me immediately, but now they’ve said to me that I have to go get them now.
“Why couldn’t you just give them to me in their first place?” It would have saved me a lot more heartache… It’s all that I can think about.
She claims that she was recently informed by Heavenly Services that a new property owner was in place. She was advised to go downstairs so they can leave her the ashes.
MailOnline reached out for comment to Heavenly Services, Humberside Police and Heavenly Services.