A family in Fife has accused the Co-Operative Funeralcare in Rosyth of a 'horrific failure of care' after their father's body was left to decompose for nearly two weeks. Kevin Fairfield, 65, died suddenly from a heart attack at his home on July 21, 2024. His children say the funeral home failed to embalm him as requested, did not provide a coffin, and only cleaned his body 13 days after his death.
The family grew concerned when a Co-Op employee allegedly refused to collect the body on a Sunday afternoon, a claim the Co-Op denies. In the days that followed, they struggled to get information about when they could see their father. After 13 days, they transferred his body to an independent funeral director, Callum Robertson Funeral Directors.
When staff from the independent firm arrived to collect Kevin, they found Co-Op employees hurriedly cleaning his severely decomposed body. He had not been embalmed and was still in the clothes he died in, which were later found in a biohazard bag. The family was advised not to view the body due to its condition, leaving them feeling 'robbed of their goodbyes'.
The Co-Operative later agreed to an out-of-court financial settlement after legal letters were exchanged. The family described the experience as 'trauma' and said 'nobody deserves to be treated the way that he was'.
