In England, anyone can become a funeral director. No licence, no qualifications required. This is the story of how that gap was exploited. On December 10th, 2023, bailiffs entered a repossessed funeral home in Gosport, Hampshire, and discovered something that would prompt a year-long police investigation, a landmark criminal trial, and renewed calls for long-overdue industry regulation…
*** LISTENER CAUTION IS ADVISED ***
This episode was researched and written by Eileen Macfarlane.
Script editing, additional writing, illustrations and production direction by Rosanna Fitton.
Audio editing by Joel Porter at Dot Dot Dot Productions.
Narration, additional audio editing and mixing, writing and script editing by Benjamin Fitton.
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More information and episode references can be found on our website https://theywalkamonguspodcast.com
SOCIAL MEDIA: https://linktr.ee/TheyWalkAmongUs
MUSIC:
The Choice Is Yours by Moments
Nuclear Conception by Alice in Winter
Beat The System by Cody Martin
Cain by Cody Martin
Etheria by Cody Martin
Count Backwards From 10 by Glasseyes
Jun by Kevin Graham
Blackstone by Lincoln Davis
Undernight by Lincoln Davis
Confession by Lone Canyon
Stratos by Lone Canyon
Mind Over Matter by Chelsea McGough
Unexpected Turn by Moments
High Anxiety by Phillip Mount
Sleep by Stephen Keech
St Mary by Chelsea McGough And Stephen Keech
Twilight Moon by Caleb Etheridge
Dead Ends by Wicked Cinema
Disappearance by Wicked Cinema
REFERENCES:
CPS / GOVERNMENT
https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/cps-authorises-charges-following-investigation-legacy-independent-funeral-directors
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fuller-inquiry-government-interim-update-on-phase-2-recommendations/interim-update-on-government-progress-in-responding-to-the-fuller-inquiry-phase-2-report
https://www.leedsth.nhs.uk/news/media-statement-funeral-director-concerns/
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6722157e3758e4604742a973/fuller-inquiry-phase-2-interim-report-hc-260-accessible-with-correction-slip.pdf
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fuller-inquiry-government-interim-update-on-phase-2-recommendations/interim-update-on-government-progress-in-responding-to-the-fuller-inquiry-phase-2-report
https://www.hampshire.police.uk/news/hampshire/news/news/2026/february/two-fraudulent-funeral-directors-from-hampshire-who-neglected-bodies-in-their-care-are-jailed/
https://www.cps.gov.uk/wessex/news/funeral-directors-sentenced-after-robbing-families-chance-say-goodbye-dignity
https://www.cps.gov.uk/wessex/news/fraudulent-funeral-directors-found-guilty-denying-families-lawful-burials
NEWSBANK
Daily Telegraph, The/The Sunday Telegraph: Web Edition Articles (London, England), November 20, 2024
MailOnline (London, England), November 20, 2024
NationalWorld (England), November 20, 2024
Press Association Newswire (UK), November 20, 2024
Southern Daily Echo (Southampton, England), November 20, 2024
Daily Mail (London, England), November 21, 2024
Southern Daily Echo (Southampton, England), November 21, 2024
Sun, The (London, England), November 21, 2024
Southern Daily Echo (Southampton, England), December 21, 2024
Southern Daily Echo (Southampton, England), December 24, 2024:
MailOnline (London, England), January 15, 2025
Southern Daily Echo (Southampton, England), January 15, 2025
Herald, The/Sunday Herald, The (Glasgow, Scotland), January 16, 2025
Daily Telegraph, The/The Sunday Telegraph: Web Edition Articles (London, England), November 20, 2025
Guardian, The: Web Edition Articles (London, England), November 20, 2025
MailOnline (London, England), November 20, 2025
Southern Daily Echo (Southampton, England), November 20, 2025
Sun, The: Web Edition Articles (London, England), November 20, 2025
Daily Mail (London, England), November 21, 2025
Daily Star (England), November 21, 2025
Metro (UK), November 21, 2025
Southern Daily Echo (Southampton, England), November 21, 2025
Times, The (London, England), November 21, 2025
Daily Mirror, The: Web Edition Articles (London, England), December 12, 2025
MailOnline (London, England), December 12, 2025
News, The (Portsmouth, England), December 12, 2025
Southern Daily Echo (Southampton, England), December 12, 2025
Birmingham Mail: Web Edition Articles (England), December 13, 2025
International Business Times: United Kingdom Edition (UK), December 13, 2025
Southern Daily Echo (Southampton, England), December 13, 2025
Sun, The (London, England), December 13, 2025
Southern Daily Echo (Southampton, England), December 14, 2025
Guardian, The (London, England), December 16, 2025
Southern Daily Echo (Southampton, England), December 16, 2025
Southern Daily Echo (Southampton, England), December 17, 2025
Daily Mirror, The: Web Edition Articles (London, England), February 19, 2026
Daily Telegraph, The/The Sunday Telegraph: Web Edition Articles (London, England), February 19, 2026
Express, The/The Express on Sunday: Web Edition Articles (London, England), February 19, 2026
London Standard, The: Web Edition Articles (England), February 19, 2026
MailOnline (London, England), February 19, 2026
Manchester Evening News: Web Edition Articles (England), February 19, 2026
News, The (Portsmouth, England), February 19, 2026
Sun, The: Web Edition Articles (London, England), February 19, 2026
Daily Mirror, The (London, England), February 20, 2026
Southern Daily Echo (Southampton, England), February 19, 2026
Express, The (London, England), February 20, 2026
Express & Star (Wolverhampton, England), February 20, 2026
Western Daily Press (Bristol, England), February 20, 2026
ONLINE
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c05151q5qplo
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c86y3z61635o
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp9kkkrxnkxo
https://news.sky.com/story/funeral-directors-jailed-for-four-years-after-decomposing-body-found-in-mortuary-13509077
https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2026-02-19/undertakers-who-left-bodies-to-decompose-in-unrefrigerated-room-to-be-sentenced
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/vile-funeral-directors-who-left-33456820
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/11888343
https://absoluteenforcement.com/a-continued-reflection-on-the-gosport-funeral-home-case/
https://absoluteenforcement.com/funeral-homes-hit-the-headline-again/
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78vyxy6e50o
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn85w4406g9o
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gjr0ylenzo
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn85w4406g9o
https://www.thesun.ie/news/15748931/funeral-director-babys-body-home-bouncer-cartoons/
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/aug/27/funeral-director-babies-cartoons-leeds
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/funeral-director-amie-upton-loved-35806597
https://www.lep.co.uk/news/crime/depraved-preston-undertaker-from-blackpool-degraded-dead-bodies-in-series-of-sick-acts-funeral-sector-inquiry-hears-4827446
https://www.itv.com/news/granada/2022-05-06/undertaker-jailed-over-images-taken-at-funeral-home
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78vyxy6e50o
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg4d97epvgo
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/oct/15/hull-funeral-home-director-pleads-guilty-fraud