When someone dies in Wrexham County Borough and there are no relatives or friends to arrange a funeral, we receive referrals to make funeral arrangements on their behalf. This is done because we (Wrexham Council) have a duty to do so under section 46 of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984. We may claim the costs of the funeral from the estate where there are sufficient funds.

This duty does not apply when someone dies in hospital, or in an ambulance on the way to hospital. Under these circumstances, the health authority will make arrangements.

If the person dies in a care home, then funeral arrangements are normally made by relatives or social services, who may be managing the finances of the deceased.

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide any assistance if the funeral has already taken place or if someone has already taken responsibility for the funeral.

What service can be provided?

When we organise for a public health funeral to take place we can:

  • arrange a cremation, unless the deceased person has noted otherwise
  • arrange a basic funeral service conducted as far as possible with the deceased's beliefs
  • place a notice in the press

Public health funeral information requests

We are frequently asked for information about people who have died with no known next of kin, Bona Vacantia estates and estates that have been referred to the Treasury Solicitor, or Duchy of Lancaster or Cornwall. In response to these requests, we are releasing the following basic information relating to public health funerals.

Please note these funerals do not include those undertaken by social services or the health authority.

Summary details of public health funerals
Title    

Surname

 First name(s)   Age   Date of birth Date of death Referral to Treasury Solicitor
Mr Jones Lindsay 65 16/03/1968 01/03/2023 No
Mr Randles Thomas Brinley 76 02/01/1947 21/02/2023 No
Mr Davies Gerald William 82 31/10/1940 02/10/2022 No
Mr Davies John Byron 63 21/01/1959 29/12/2022 No
Mr Largarto Rui Maximiano 51 16/12/1971 07/01/2023 No
Mr Romanov Aleksandr 45 05/01/1977 08/11/2022 No
Mr Anderson Eric Charles 66 04/06/1956 16/11/2022 No
Mr Cuffin Jamie Cameron 31 02/04/1991 08/06/2022 No
Mr Kalinowski Robert Rafal 46 07/09/1975 28/03/2022 No
Mr Fidler William Graham 79 02/05/1942 14/11/2021 No
Ms Jones Carol Ann 69 03/01/1952 04/08/2021 No
Mr Griffiths Mark 53 16/06/1968 04/09/2021 No
Mr Thomas Michael 72 30/10/1949 24/07/2021 No
Mr Haley Brian 73 03/08/1947 12/05/2021 No
Miss Pyke Pauline 91 28/07/1929 26/03/2021 No
Mr Bruford Paul 70 05/03/1951 29/03/2021 No
Mr Hughes Carl 60 29/07/1960 22/12/2020 No
Miss  Oakley  Jacqueline Lesley 63 26/04/1957 06/12/2020 No
Mr Ansonia Gareth William 54 11/10/1966 18/10/2020 No
Mr Parry Philip 55 15/02/1965 19/10/2020 Yes
Mr  Roberts Edward Haydn 62 24/12/1958 13/10/2020 No
Mr Ciesnowski Zdzislaw 42 29/01/1978 27/08/2020 No
Mr Jones William Neil 65 30/01/1955 02/06/2020 No
Mr Edwards Terrence 60 09/01/1960 01/06/2020 No
Mr Racon Renford 88 11/08/1931 16/04/2020 No
Mr Jones Trevor 83 16/10/1936 13/03/2020 No
Mr Parker Derek Brian 87 24/07/1932 06/03/2020 No
Mr Birch Basil Montgomery 74 13/05/1945 09/02/2020 No
Mr Novelli Louis Noel Edington 79 18/12/1941 03/02/2020 Yes
Mr Scruton Leslie Thomas 83 06/02/1936 30/01/2020 No
Mr Jenkins Steven 47 17/04/1972 03/12/2019 No
Mr Roberts Deryn Emlyn 61 14/04/1958 21/02/2019 No
Mr Formstone George 81 05/10/1937 09/01/2019 Yes
Ms Hughes Donna Marie 46 15/08/1972 10/12/2018 No
Mr Jones Philip 65 07/10/1952 12/05/2018 No
Ms Smith Elizabeth Rosemary 76 09/08/1942 20/01/2018 No
Mr Povey George 66 10/10/1951 07/12/2017 No
Mr Smith Christopher Joseph 67 25/12/1949 25/11/2017 No
Mr Marques Joao Manuel 45 02/04/1972 17/09/2017 No
Miss Roberts Mavis Elizabeth 70 25/02/1947  13/08/2017 No
Mr Ferreira Lopes Cesar Luis 56 05/06/1960 11/05/2017 No
Mr Keating     Paul 49 01/02/1966 03/01/2016 No
Mr O'Reilly Philip 82 14/01/1933 01/07/2015 No
Mr Wood Edgar James 67 26/01/1948 25/08/2015 No
Mr  Roberts Mark Timothy 55 12/03/1960 13/08/2015 No
Mr Satterley Joseph William 69 09/05/1949 03/08/2015 Yes
Ms Hughes Carol Ann 52 29/04/1961 19/10/2013 No
Mr Evans John Anthony 51 14/02/1962 13/06/2013 No
Mr Richardson Michael Jeffrey 63 03/11/1948 05/06/2012 No
Mr Blackwell Norman 69 20/06/1942 08/04/2012 No
Mr Davies Glyn Malcolm 79 12/11/1932 31/12/2011 Yes
Miss Davies Jean Margaret 88 16/06/1923 18/08/2011 No
Mr Taylor Gary Edward 52 06/05/1959 14/07/2011 No
Mr  Jones Robert John 69 25/02/1942 01/06/2011 No
Miss Samuelson Auriel 75 19/02/1936 16/03/2011 No

Further details about information requests

We (Wrexham Council) consider that detailed information relating to public health funerals (beyond that published by the council) is exempt from disclosure. This exemption is done so under sections 31 (law enforcement) and 41 (information provided in confidence) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“FOIA”).

Preventing crime and protecting living relatives' information

Under section 31(1) (a) of FOIA, information may be withheld if it would or would be likely to prejudice the prevention or detection of crime. This means we will not release any information that would identify the address of the deceased. We consider that the public interest test in avoiding prejudice to the prevention of crime outweighs the public interest in disclosure of this information.

In relation to section 41 of FOIA, we consider that in dealing with the affairs of the deceased, there arises a duty of confidentiality to the deceased's personal representatives and disclosure of detailed information would therefore breach that confidence. Section 41 is an absolute exemption and therefore we are not obliged to consider the public interest test.

Estates

The UK Government website provides information on the Treasury Solicitor’s “Bona Vacantia” division, which deals with certain estates (usually those with a net value of £500 or above) where there is no will or available next of kin.

GOV.UK: Bona Vacantia (external link)

Contact us

contact-us@wrexham.gov.uk