A WIDOW 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, 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 at the age of 75 in November.

When Peter opened the urn he found a card with his dad's name inside, alongside a card with the name of Alan Harper.

Linda 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.”

When she went to collect the ashes from the funeral directors she was initially given a receipt with the name Helen Harper before it was crossed out and replaced with Linda's name.

The two cards found inside the urn both had the same cremation numbers.

Peter, who lives in Brook Street, Astley, said it has affected the entire family, which includes his children Victoria, 22, Poppy, five, and 10-month-old Peter.

He said: “We are just 50/50 now in terms of whose ashes are actually in there, but also it is lucky I looked inside because we were going to get pendants 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 funeral directors said they can assure me that they are my father’s ashes, but how can they prove it?

"There is no closure to it now is there?

"We might as well not have had a funeral.

“I was going to be cremated but not now – I am 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' at the company's branch in Linda's home town of Farnworth.

He added that the firm can assure both families they have 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.”