Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to question why taxpayers should fund Ian Huntley’s cremation?

389 replies

PassingStranger · 12/03/2026 23:02

Can't Ian Huntleys mother who was at his bedside and in touch with him, pay for his cremation.
Why should the tax payer pay?
He's already cost the taxpayer loads.🤔😫

OP posts:
x2boys · 14/03/2026 07:13

PassingStranger · 13/03/2026 22:40

There isnt any family apart from his mum.

Don't know how people can bear to do such awful things to other humans who've done them no harm, knowing they will be hated the rest of their life and nobody will care when they are dead.

I dont think anyone would disagree
Most people find brutal child murder abhorrent

x2boys · 14/03/2026 07:10

Samwsnsb · 14/03/2026 00:45

This entire thread is a waste of time

Agreed don't think anybody would disagree that Ian Huntley was a depraved person but arguing over how his body should be disposed of and who should pay is pointless it has to be disposed as a matter of public health and the cheapest way to do this would be a basic cremation,
He's not going to be having a big fancy funeral with loads of mourners.

EyeLevelStick · 14/03/2026 06:49

PassingStranger · 13/03/2026 22:40

There isnt any family apart from his mum.

Don't know how people can bear to do such awful things to other humans who've done them no harm, knowing they will be hated the rest of their life and nobody will care when they are dead.

You still haven’t said

a) who you think should foot the bill for the disposal of his remains
b) why, if you still think it should be his mother, she should be forced to do so

Samwsnsb · 14/03/2026 00:45

This entire thread is a waste of time

sashh · 14/03/2026 00:36

BatchCookBabe · 13/03/2026 08:41

Same question to you.

Playing devil's advocate though, I know some cannot afford to pay for a relatives funeral and the council will pay them, but what if everyone decided they don't want to pay for their relatives funerals anymore? Surely the council wouldn't fund everyone's burial or (cremation?) What happens then?!

I have no issue with the authorities paying when the family can't afford it, (and of course I have heard of a pauper's funeral - horrible turn of phrase!) But what if someone REFUSES to pay? (Even if they can afford it?) Is the council meant to pay for everyone's then?

.
.

Edited

I imagine everyone's Council Tax would go up.

Joliefolie · 14/03/2026 00:27

Samwsnsb · 13/03/2026 22:43

This isn't relevant to the cost of the funeral.

It’s not relevant to the cost of the funeral, as you rightly state, but this statement is relevant to the thread as yet another example of the OP’s complete inability to think outside their own frame of reference or beyond their need for attention and admiration. "How can you do such awful things… knowing they will be hated for the rest of their lives and that no one will care when they are dead?

This is the OP’s frame of reference. It also explains why the OP seems to think that the large number of posts in this thread validates the claim that taxpayers shouldn’t pay for the disposal of IH’s body - as if the large number of posters pointing out how stupid the proposal is means it's a debatable question. Ah but x% voted with me, the OP! Yes, on an anonymous thread and were still not able to offer up any genuine debatable points. But it's all about likes, clicks, votes and attention whilst using other people's real and profound trauma as a prop.

MissMoneyFairy · 13/03/2026 22:47

XenoBitch · 13/03/2026 20:57

Do you have a breakdown of the costs?

You can read it online

Samwsnsb · 13/03/2026 22:43

PassingStranger · 13/03/2026 22:40

There isnt any family apart from his mum.

Don't know how people can bear to do such awful things to other humans who've done them no harm, knowing they will be hated the rest of their life and nobody will care when they are dead.

This isn't relevant to the cost of the funeral.

PassingStranger · 13/03/2026 22:40

Tigerbalmshark · 13/03/2026 18:12

Pauper’s funerals are a thing OP. I doubt Ian Huntley had many assets and if you die with no money yourself, the state will pay to cremate you too, because it is better than slinging corpses on landfill sites.

It will be a very basic cremation, he won’t have a horse drawn carriage and doves released, and we aren’t paying for his family to have a knees-up.

There isnt any family apart from his mum.

Don't know how people can bear to do such awful things to other humans who've done them no harm, knowing they will be hated the rest of their life and nobody will care when they are dead.

OP posts:
Amabo · 13/03/2026 21:03

The number of people who seem to think you can dispose of human remains on the council tip is worrying.

XenoBitch · 13/03/2026 20:57

MissMoneyFairy · 13/03/2026 20:55

Ian bradys cost 20k, a judge ordered the disposal.

Do you have a breakdown of the costs?

MissMoneyFairy · 13/03/2026 20:55

XenoBitch · 13/03/2026 18:01

Maybe some people think that prisons have their own morgue and ways to dispose (sorry, I don't think that is a great word but I can't think of a better one) of bodies.

I am pretty sure sea burials is a heavily regulated thing, and would cost more than the £3k that is available to use.

Ian bradys cost 20k, a judge ordered the disposal.

XenoBitch · 13/03/2026 19:20

Everybodys · 13/03/2026 19:09

I'm sure there was a thread on here not long ago from someone complaining that they can't just go in the council dump when they die.

It was probably a throw away (pun not intended) comment.
There are regulations about this sort of thing. For public health reasons, and also for the dignity of the dead.

TakeTheCuntingQuichePatricia · 13/03/2026 19:19

XenoBitch · 13/03/2026 18:25

I can't believe a few posters have suggested a gibbet as a good idea for IH.

Imagine the threads on here... "AIBU to object to a corpse in a cage being suspended near DC school?"

I'm fairly sure those posters were being sarcastic.

Everybodys · 13/03/2026 19:09

I'm sure there was a thread on here not long ago from someone complaining that they can't just go in the council dump when they die.

XenoBitch · 13/03/2026 19:06

Everybodys · 13/03/2026 19:03

Are we quite sure a council incinerator would accept corpses? I must say, I don't think I'd be particularly impressed to be one of the workers there, going about my normal waste burning day, and then expected to take responsibility for the handling and disposal of human remains.

Finding human remains shuts the whole site down anyway.

XenoBitch · 13/03/2026 19:05

Ironfloor269 · 13/03/2026 18:54

They should have chucked him in the council incinerator like the piece of garbage he was.

That was literally my dad's wish. He used to work for the council.
It is not allowed.

Everybodys · 13/03/2026 19:03

Ironfloor269 · 13/03/2026 18:54

They should have chucked him in the council incinerator like the piece of garbage he was.

Are we quite sure a council incinerator would accept corpses? I must say, I don't think I'd be particularly impressed to be one of the workers there, going about my normal waste burning day, and then expected to take responsibility for the handling and disposal of human remains.

Sometimessmiling · 13/03/2026 19:00

PassingStranger · 12/03/2026 23:07

But if her funds allow why can't she pay?

It should be his daughter technically as she will be next if kin legally but obviously she has never seen it met him.
So actually his mother doesn't have to

Ironfloor269 · 13/03/2026 18:54

They should have chucked him in the council incinerator like the piece of garbage he was.

Bellaunion · 13/03/2026 18:48

XenoBitch · 13/03/2026 18:25

I can't believe a few posters have suggested a gibbet as a good idea for IH.

Imagine the threads on here... "AIBU to object to a corpse in a cage being suspended near DC school?"

Especially given the amount of posters that can't cope with the smell of a lush shop, I'm not sure how they'll cope with the smell of a rotting corpse in public...

JonesTown · 13/03/2026 18:29

Well, regardless of who has died, the body has to be disposed of safely and hygienically.

Presumably you aren’t expecting them to dump it in the street?

I would assume the state would fund burial costs for anyone who is murdered in prison.

XenoBitch · 13/03/2026 18:25

Bellaunion · 13/03/2026 18:23

I mean I don't know about anyone else but I'm quite glad we actually pay for dead bodies to be disposed of in a hygienic and safe way rather than harking back to medieval times where bodies were just left to rot on the street. Which seems to be what some people on here are rooting for given they don't want the tax payer to pay for it yet there are no legal ways (and neither they should be) of making the family pay for it.

I can't believe a few posters have suggested a gibbet as a good idea for IH.

Imagine the threads on here... "AIBU to object to a corpse in a cage being suspended near DC school?"

Everybodys · 13/03/2026 18:24

This company appear to be the market leaders.

https://www.burialsatsea.co.uk/

Starting price is £3995, though that includes up to 10 people going on the boat. Maybe they could do a discount, as he's not likely to be accompanied.

Not sure it covers dealing with the body before it arrives at the sea though, if not that'd be extra. Conveniently, one of the UK burial at sea locations is North Tyneside, so not too far away. I didn't realise there were set areas for it but I suppose they have to think about tides and stuff.

Burials at Sea from £2185 Fully Inclusive Options - Funerals & Burials at Sea, Funerals, Burials & Ashes at Sea

Burials at Sea from £2185 Fully Inclusive Options - Funerals & Burials at Sea, Funerals, Burials & Ashes at Sea Burials & Funerals at Sea, Funeral at sea, Burials & Ashes at Sea, Burials at Sea Fixed Price Sea Burial All Inclusive Pack...

https://www.burialsatsea.co.uk

Bellaunion · 13/03/2026 18:23

I mean I don't know about anyone else but I'm quite glad we actually pay for dead bodies to be disposed of in a hygienic and safe way rather than harking back to medieval times where bodies were just left to rot on the street. Which seems to be what some people on here are rooting for given they don't want the tax payer to pay for it yet there are no legal ways (and neither they should be) of making the family pay for it.