Son fined after dad's funeral overruns by 13 minutes

A grieving son says he feels "angry and frustrated" after being fined £432 because his father's funeral service overran by 13 minutes.

The family of the late William Scurlock, 79, were allotted 40 minutes for his funeral at Taunton Crematorium, Somerset, in September 2024.

His son Rob Scurlock said: "We followed their guidance and we were told we would have an extra ten discretionary minutes."

Somerset Council, which manages Taunton Crematorium, said funeral times have to be "strictly controlled but charges for overrunning are being reviewed".

Mr Scurlock said the family booked the last slot of the day to "avoid any issues for anyone coming in after us".

He said the extra 10 minutes he was told he could have were not noted when the fine was issued.

During the service, the family struggled to find the words to say goodbye and the ceremony became "stressful".

"There was not really a peaceful moment to it. It was just a rushed, chaotic service," he added.

Somerset Council said the crematorium is under new management and charges for overrunning are being reviewed and will be reflected in the revised pricing structure from March.

"The fees and charges are publicly available," a spokesperson added.

Phil Spicksley, who is from the Association of Independent Celebrants, said people should work closely with funeral directors and celebrants to prevent any issues with timings.

"If you want family members to speak, as well as a celebrant, then ask for a double slot.

"We all know that crematoriums run to a strict timetable and celebrants are particularly trained in making sure that services don't run over," he added.

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