Police to investigate mortuary 'mix-up'

A council has called in the police after the body of a former soldier who died in police custody turned up in a mortuary more than a decade after he was believed to have been buried.

Christopher Alder, 37, choked to death while handcuffed and lying on the floor of a police station in Hull, in the early hours of April 1 1998.

It now appears a Hull pensioner called Grace Kamara was buried in his place in 2000.

Mrs Kamara is understood to have died from natural causes in 1999 but her burial was delayed and finally scheduled for Friday.

It appears the blunder was only discovered because her friends and family asked to see the body and Mr Alder's remains were found in its place in the mortuary.

Yesterday Nicola Yates, chief executive of Hull City Council, apologised and launched an investigation.

Today she said the police were being brought in.

She said: "As chair of the multi-agency group dealing with the tragic circumstances around Grace Kamara and Christopher Alder, I have requested that the police undertake a criminal investigation into this extremely distressing case.

"As I said last night, I am appalled and distraught at what we have learned and my first priority has been to make sure the families involved are kept informed and given the necessary support.

"It is vital that the families and the public get a clear view of the facts and understand what happened. A thorough police investigation will make sure this happens.

"Now that the police are carrying out a formal investigation it would be inappropriate for me to comment further.

"I recognise that this has been very traumatic for everyone involved and I again offer my sincere sympathies to the families."

PA