A devastated family has claimed their father was effectively 'left to rot' for 12 days at a Co-Operative funeral parlour, robbing them of the chance to say a proper goodbye. Kevin Fairfield, 65, died suddenly from a heart attack at his home on July 21, 2024. His children, Keiron Fairfield, 42, Kali Hope, 34, and Kev Fairfield, 38, arranged for him to be taken to Co-Op funeral services in Dunfermline, Scotland, that same evening.
Family's Request for Embalming Ignored
The family specifically requested that Kevin be embalmed so they could pay their respects in a chapel of rest, and they delivered his favourite suit for the occasion. However, ten days later, they received a phone call from the funeral service warning them not to visit because 'nature had taken its course.'
On Friday, August 2, the distraught family arranged for Callum Robertson funeral directors to take over their father's care. They discovered his body had been neglected and was 'extremely decomposed.' Staff at Callum Robertson informed the family it was impossible to prepare the body for viewing.
Daughter Kali, a stay-at-home mother from Glenrothes, Fife, expressed her heartbreak: 'I was absolutely heartbroken. We're utterly devastated. I just wanted to hold his hand one last time and say goodbye, and I couldn't. You put all your trust in these people, it's the last thing you can do for someone, and they've messed it up.'
Discovery of Death and Aftermath
Keiron, who had spent time with his father the previous day, became worried when he saw the curtains drawn at his dad's property on the Sunday, when they had planned to watch the Grand Prix. He called Kali as he opened the door and found Kevin's body in the dining room. Kev and Kali rushed to their childhood home, where paramedics and police soon arrived. Kevin had been living a normal life after a previous heart attack in February, according to Kali.
Kali added: 'He adored all his grandchildren. He'd always get down on the floor to play with them. His death was sudden and unexpected, and our grief has been complicated and interrupted by what has happened.'
Co-Op's Inadequate Communication
Co-Op staff told the family on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, that they were welcome to sit with Kevin's coffin, yet when Callum Robertson took over two days later, no coffin had been arranged for him. Kali questioned: 'Were they going to let us sit with an empty coffin?'
In a letter dated August 6, Callum Robertson stated: 'Nothing had been done to care for him. There had been no preparation of his body. Due to the length of time that had passed, Mr Fairfield was extremely decomposed.' His body had deteriorated severely, and the clothes he died in 12 days earlier had only just been removed and placed in a biohazard bag. Kevin's body had not been embalmed, and the suit his family provided remained untouched in its carrier.
Funeral and Ongoing Grief
The family eventually held a funeral for Kevin on August 9. Kali, who spoke to Sell Us Your Story, said: 'We don't feel like we've been able to grieve losing dad because this has overshadowed everything. We're nearly two years down the line and I can't even put into words how it feels. You want and need these people to take you by the hand and guide you. Instead, the Co-Op have taken something away that we can't get back. It's left us with so much guilt that we let dad down, even though we did our best.'
She added: 'I'd never heard of anything like this before, but now I've heard of it happening to so many people. Some people I've read about had this happen 12 years ago. It makes me feel sick.'
Legal Resolution and Apology
The family and Co-Op exchanged correspondence through solicitors until the Co-Op offered a five-figure sum, which the family accepted on May 7, 2025. The family has chosen not to disclose the amount. The Co-Op issued an apology, acknowledging that their standards had fallen short. The family plans to use some of the money to take Kevin's ashes to Holland, where he holidayed annually since childhood.
Kali revealed that the Co-Op provided two conflicting timelines of events and even recorded her father's height incorrectly, listing him as over six foot when he was actually five foot nine. She said: 'It was never about the money, we would have walked away with nothing if we'd have got answers. We just want to understand how this went so wrong. Failure to care for a body properly should be a crime. Nothing can change what happened to dad, but we don't want this happening to another family.'
Keiron added: 'I am still struggling to understand how this was allowed to happen. Losing Dad was already devastating, but what followed made my grief so much harder to bear. We want clear answers about what happened, why it happened, and what is being done to make sure it never happens again. An apology is not enough unless it is matched by real accountability and change.'
Co-Op's Response
A Co-op Funeralcare spokesperson responded: 'At Co-op Funeralcare, we are committed to delivering the highest standards of professionalism, service and care for the thousands of bereaved families and their loved ones that we serve across the nation. On this occasion, we recognise that we did not meet these high standards due to a procedural error and for this we sincerely apologise. However, we are confident that Mr Fairfield was treated with the utmost dignity and respect during his time in our care. Following an investigation, actions were taken internally to prevent this from happening again and we also provided Mr Fairfield's family with a full detailed timeline and summary of our findings.'
