A WIDOW says she is unsure whether the ashes she has been given belong to her husband after another person’s name was found inside his urn.

Linda Hardman, aged 69, made the upsetting discovery with her 42-year-old son Peter after collecting the urn containing what they thought were the ashes of James Hardman, who died from cancer in November, aged 75.

When Peter opened the urn he found a card with his father’s name inside, alongside a card with another name.

Mrs Hardman, who lives in Alexandra Street, Farnworth, said: “I just felt sick. There are just no words really. We were discussing what to do with them, but we just don’t know. It’s not like they can prove it.”

The cremation took place at Agecroft Cemetery and Crematorium on November 26 and the ashes were then stored at the Co-operative Funeralcare branch in Albert Road, Farnworth.

When Mrs Hardman went to collect the ashes from the branch, she was initially given a receipt with another name before it was crossed out and replaced with Mrs Hardman’s name. The two cards found inside the urn both had the same cremation numbers.

Peter, who lives in Brook Street, Astley, said it had affected the entire family, which includes his children Victoria, aged 22, Poppy, aged five, and Peter, 10 months. He said: “We are just 50/50 now in terms of whose ashes are actually in there. But it’s also lucky I looked inside because we were going to get pendants containing some of the ashes made for some of the family.

“I was going to get some of the ashes tattooed into me and we were thinking of making a remembrance garden, but we can’t do that now because we are never going to know.The Co-op said they can assure me they are my father’s ashes but how can they prove it? There’s no closure to it now.We might as well not have had a funeral.”

He added: “I was going to be cremated but not now. I’m going to be buried.”

In a statement,a Co-operative Funeralcare spokesman said the mix-up with the cards and the receipt was due to an “administrative error” but that they could assure both families that they had the correct ashes.

The spokesman said: “We are truly sorry to Mrs Hardman for the upset caused and have contacted her directly to apologise. Having fully investigated this matter we can confirm that the ashes in Mrs Hardman’s care do belong to her late husband. Unfortunately, in this instance there was an administrative error, which has led to confusion and additional distress. We take the care of ashes extremely seriously and have robust procedures in place. We have taken steps to ensure this is addressed fully.”

The Co-operative said they had been in touch with the other family, who had thanked the company for its help.