An auction house owned by Bargain Hunt star Anita Manning has faced heavy criticism for attempting to sell human remains. Great Western Auctions in Glasgow was set to auction off a collection of human bones, including a skull, on Friday. However, experts condemned the sale as 'unethical and unacceptable in any form,' noting that the body parts likely originated from India or China and were exported for use in university anatomy classes.
Details of the Controversial Lot
The lot, valued between £500 and £800, included bones stored in a box marked as belonging to an anatomy class at the University of Glasgow. While selling human remains over 100 years old is not illegal in the UK, many of these remains were obtained without the consent of the deceased. The sale was withdrawn after the BBC contacted the auction house.
Expert Reactions
Dr Lauren McIntyre from the British Association for Biological Anthropology and Osteoarchaeology stated: 'The buying and selling of human remains for commercial gain robs the deceased of their dignity and is both unethical and unacceptable. Most medical remains like these were mass-exported from countries such as India and China, not from consenting donors.' She added that India banned the export of human skeletons in 1985 amid fears of grave robbing, and China followed in 2008, though the trade may still persist.
Professor Gordon Findlater, HM's Inspector of Anatomy, commented: 'Without knowing the seller, it's impossible to verify the origin. If the bones came from a donated body, it breaches the Code of Practice for Anatomical Examination in Scotland, which prohibits financial profit from donated bodies.'
Auction House Response
Great Western Auctions told the BBC: 'The lot has been withdrawn.' The firm, founded by Anita Manning and her daughter Larissa in 1989, is based on Dumbarton Road in Glasgow. Anita, 78, is best known for her appearances on Bargain Hunt since 2010, as well as Flog It! and Antiques Road Trip.
