Funeral interrupted as grieving sons told to leave mother's side by crematorium staff

A funeral was interrupted so grieving sons could be ordered to leave their mother’s side by crematorium staff, it has emerged as the family say social distancing regulations are “beyond belief”.

The funeral of Alan Wright, 78, at the Crownhill Crematorium in Milton Keynes was paused by a member of staff after his two sons had moved their chairs from the two metre social distancing layout to put arm around their grieving mother.

Mr Wright’s son, Craig Bicknell, has now attacked the regulations, saying that he has been in a bubble with his mother for weeks and it is "beyond belief" they are allowed to sit next to each other in the pub or travel to the crematorium together, but cannot comfort each other during the funeral.

A clip (below) of the service, posted on the Milton Keynes Community Hub, shows Mr Wright’s two sons picking up their chairs to move next to their mother as the service begins, with Mr Bicknell putting an arm around her.

As the celebrant wished those gathered “a warm welcome as we unite in love and friendship” he was cut off by a member of staff entering the room.

The staff member stops a third mourner moving to comfort a loved one and then tells the sons: “Sorry, you are going to have to put your chairs back I am afraid, you can’t move the chairs for yourselves”.

Both sons move away, but they have since complained that the actions made a “devastating day even worse”.

Mr Bicknell said that he had been living with his mother in a bubble, where social distancing is not required, for the last two weeks and he had carried his father’s coffin with his brother at his side just moments earlier.

He said: “It was quite a scary moment because of the way that he came flying into the room and started shouting.

“I had made everybody aware that my mum is not in a great position, she is very weak, and we got to a point where she was so upset and I just wanted to comfort her, my mum needed me and I had to be there for her.

“I can sit in a pub with six people, I can sit next to people on transport, I can live at my mum’s house, I can travel in a limousine to the crematorium with six others, but when I want to give my mum a cuddle at my dad’s funeral a man stops the service? It doesn’t make sense and it made a devastating day even worse.”

Mr Wright, who had terminal cancer, passed away on the 18th September after having a heart attack in hospital.

Mr Bicknell said that the rules for funerals should be reviewed, adding: “I just want some common sense. I haven’t left my mum’s side for two and a half weeks and I had just travelled with her in the car to the funeral. I just don’t want any other family to go through this.”

Crownhill Crematorium, which is run by Milton Keynes council, did not respond to a request for comment.

The Government guidance on funerals states that it is designed to protect the mourners and workers and ensure “bereaved people are treated with sensitivity, dignity and respect”.

Under the current guidelines, 30 people are allowed to attend a funeral as long as there is space for social distancing.

The regulations do not require social distancing between those in the same household or support bubble.