Funeral directors 'dropped coffin and scarpered after dad’s body fell out' claim horrified family

Gavin Swales' widow collapsed and had to be taken to hospital in the chaos that followed while his children say they had to remove the body from the grave themselves

Andy Commins/Daily Mirror
Peaceful now: The grave of Gavin Swales at West Cemetery in Newcastle
A bereaved family watched in horror as the coffin of a devoted dad was reportedly smashed open as he was being buried.
They claim the body of father-of-eight Gavin Swales, 55, who died from leukaemia, was exposed in front of 400 mourners at his funeral .
His widow Debbie, 56, is said to have collapsed before being rushed to hospital in the chaos.
The distraught family claim the undertakers, from Clark Pearson Funeral Services, left West Cemetery in Newcastle in a panic.
Mr Swales’ daughter Zoe, 26, told how her father’s body was reportedly “hanging out of the coffin, half in the grave and half out”.
Heartbroken Zoe and her brothers, Gavin Jr, Dean, Lee and Connor, claim they were forced to remove the body from the grave themselves.

Tragic: Gavin Swales
Zoe, of Newcastle, claimed: “The funeral directors had refused my brothers’ request to carry the coffin, and said the conditions were bad so ‘leave it to us’.
“They then dropped my dad’s coffin and it smashed open, leaving my dad covered in mud and rain, hanging out in front of everyone.”
She added: “My mother collapsed and was taken away in an ambulance.
“We had only one of the directors’ men left to drive the hearse.


Daily Mirror
Devastated: Gavin with his bereaved family
“My dad’s smashed-up coffin and all his personal effects, the poems and photos, were taken back to funeral directors.”
A second funeral service was held today, 24 hours later.
Zoe added: “I am in utter shock, and so is the family. It is heartbreaking anyway because my dad was so young, and we had to go through all of this again.”
A spokeswoman for Clark Pearson, of Newcastle, said: “No comment. An investigation is under way.”

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/funeral-directors-dropped-coffin-scarpered-6785619#rlabs=4%20rt$sitewide%20p$3

That poor family, how utterly horrible for them.

Oh my god!!! That's awful!!!!

It sure is, however would you cope with that.

It's a day when you really just need to be in your own zone and a day for love and comfort.

I guess I'd have to find a way to laugh about it, knowing that the person inside would've laughed too....