Some mourning families were told that no ashes would be returned to them if their child was cremated at the Emstrey Crematorium in Shrewsbury, but later discovered they would have received ashes if the cremation had taken place at a different crematorium.

Other families were unaware that no ashes would be returned following a cremation at Emstrey - and were left angered and shocked when they were denied them.

In one case, parents told the inquiry how they had been informed there would be no ashes, but later found out there had been ashes which were spread in the crematorium's garden without their knowledge or consent.

Between 1996 and 2012, the cremators installed at Emstrey were not equipped with a special setting for the cremation of infants. It was only from 2013 that equipment and techniques were updated.

The inquiry investigated a total of 59 cremations at Emstrey - 53 of which had taken place between 2000 and 2013.
Of those 53 infant cremations, ashes were not recovered in 51 cases.

Bereaved families have now demanded an apology in light of the report, while the crematorium has stressed that this is a historic issue rather than a current one.

A section of the report read: "This practice seems to have been accepted locally as the norm. One family say that they cannot understand why, when the issue came to light, someone did not hold their hands up, take responsibility, and take swift action to put things right for the future.

"Parents who have lost their child at birth have vividly explained how their joy, after building up for months, suddenly and unexpectedly turned to grief.

"Having expected to be choosing names, clothes and toys, they found themselves instead having to make decisions about burial or cremation, form of ceremony, hymns and readings.

"For some, the decisions they made in the days immediately following the death of their baby remain a blur in their memory. They are not quite sure now who said what to whom and what their options were."

Co-operative Funeralcare, which has operated Emstrey Crematorium since late 2011, has offered its "most sincere condolences to the families impacted by the Emstrey Inquiry who have continued to face uncertainty following the loss of their child".

The company's head of operations, John Williamson, explained: "In the interim period after we took over responsibility for the running of Emstrey and prior to new equipment and processes being introduced, there were four infant cremations for which ashes were not obtained. To these families, we would like to personally apologise.

"Following the introduction of new cremators, equipment and processes, ashes have been recovered in all infant cremations since 2013."

Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity, has said parents must be informed if no ashes can be returned after an infant cremation, allowing families to make alternative arrangements if they wish.

It has called for a consistent approach to the cremation of stillborn, very premature and very young babies, warning that public trust in crematoria practices would not be restored otherwise.