Soham murderer Ian Huntley cremated in £265 eco-friendly coffin as taxpayers pick up funeral tab

Exclusive: Almost £2,000 in taxpayers’ money was paid out for Ian Huntley’s cremation as part of a longstanding policy for the state to cover expenses for any death in custody

The Soham killer Ian Huntley was cremated in a £265 eco-friendly coffin at a service attended by no mourners and paid for by the taxpayer, The Independent can reveal.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) spent almost £2,000 on funeral services for Huntley, who died in hospital after being attacked at HMP Frankland in February.

An inquest last month heard how Huntley, 52, who murdered 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in 2002, suffered a fatal injury to the head from a metal bar in the high-security prison, before his death days later at Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.

Soon after, a petition signed by 64,000 people was launched calling for the MoJ not to use taxpayer funds to pay for his funeral, after it was revealed that it offers up to £3,000 towards prisoners’ funeral costs.

Ian Huntley was convicted of murdering Holly Wells (left) and her best friend Jessica Chapman

Ian Huntley was convicted of murdering Holly Wells (left) and her best friend Jessica Chapman (PA)

Now, the MoJ has confirmed that it spent £1,915 on Huntley’s cremation. That included £625 for “professional services”, £275 for the transfer of his body from hospital, £65 for a cremation casket and £265 for a “jute natural coffin”. £100 was also paid for staff attendance and supervision.

A jute coffin is made from natural, biodegradable materials to minimise environmental impact. The fee for the “direct unattended” cremation was £585, the MoJ said.

Under MoJ standard practice for covering basic funeral expenses, money is paid directly to the funeral director and does not cover the cost of wakes, headstones or burial plots. The Independent understands that the coffin was selected because it was the most cost-effective option.

Previous prisoners who have had their costs paid for by the state include Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe in 2020 and child killer Raymond Morris in 2014.

Huntley’s ashes are due to be returned to his mother, Lynda Richards, next month. It was reported that Ms Richards visited her son in hospital, where he was said to be in a vegetative state after his life support machine was switched off.

An inquest heard that Huntley was attacked with a metal bar in a workshop at HMP Frankland

An inquest heard that Huntley was attacked with a metal bar in a workshop at HMP Frankland (PA)

An MoJ spokesperson said: “The murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman remain one of the most shocking and devastating cases in our nation’s history, and our thoughts are with their families.”

Huntley, a former school caretaker, was serving a life sentence for the 2002 murders when he was killed. He attacked the best friends after they left a family barbecue to buy sweets in Soham, Cambridgeshire, on 4 August 2002. Later, he dumped their bodies in a ditch 10 miles away. He denied their murder but was convicted in a trial at the Old Bailey in 2003. He was jailed for life with a recommended minimum term of 40 years.

Following Huntley’s death, a prisoner, Anthony Russell, 43, was charged with his murder.