UK’s ‘most evil funeral director’ and ‘Back to the moon’
A funeral director pleading guilty to 30 counts of preventing lawful and decent burial dominates Friday’s papers. The Daily Mail calls it the UK’s “worst funeral home scandal” after Robert Bush admitted to giving grieving families the wrong ashes, stockpiling bodies and stealing from charities among other crimes. The paper says thousands of families may have fallen victim to the UK’s “most evil funeral director”.
The Daily Express follows with a message from grieving families who called Bush a “monster” who should “rot in jail”. The paper also features a photo of Bush leaving court with a black mask covering his face.
“Faces of the betrayed” is the Daily Mirror’s headline as it fills its front page with pictures of the victims whose bodies and ashes were recovered from the funeral home where Bush worked.
Moving to international news, the Guardian reports on French President Emmanuel Macron’s rebuke of Donald Trump’s latest attack on Nato. Macron called on the US president to “be serious”, saying: “We all need stability, calm, a return to peace – this isn’t a show!” The paper’s top picture spot shows a view of Earth from Nasa’s Orion spacecraft as it orbits above during the Artemis II flight.
“Back to the Moon” echoes the i Paper which leads with the same photo of the Earth seen from space. Alongside, its lead story focuses on the King’s upcoming state visit to the US as the paper reports the monarch will use the opportunity to “champion Nato” and stabilise the UK’s security pact with Washington.
The Sun chooses to spotlight a different angle of the Artemis II mission, saying the four astronauts had to endure six hours of “lav hell” after their toilet stopped working. “Houston, wee have a problem” is the headline.
The Times shifts its attention to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, who is expected to give the green light to the first major North Sea oil and gasfield project in almost a decade. It comes as ministers face growing pressure to increase drilling as the war in Iran continues to disrupt global fuel supplies, the paper reports.
Marks and Spencer has hit out at London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan for failing to get a grip on crime after a string of shoplifting and violent incidents involving mobs of youths at its stores, according to the Daily Telegraph. The paper says the retailer has urged Sir Sadiq to “prioritise effective policing” as shopkeepers brace for what is feared will be a weekend of chaos.
Writing in the Independent, Health Secretary Wes Streeting criticises the “absurd” demands of resident doctors threatening to strike. Streeting also accuses the group of “not being serious about reaching an agreement” over the government’s pay offer.
Finally, the Daily Star looks ahead to the 2026 World Cup as it reports that tickets for the final could cost up to £8,000 despite fans being promised they would be fixed at just over £1,000.
With the headline: “Faces Of The Betrayed” the front page of the Daily Mirror features images of some of those whose remains were not properly handled by Robert Bush – an undertaker in Hull who yesterday admitted more than 30 charges. The Daily Mail says it’s feared thousands of families may have fallen victim to what the paper describes as “Britain’s most evil funeral director”, while the Daily Express highlights calls for him to “rot in jail” when he is sentenced in July.
The Times says the energy secretary, Ed Miliband, is expected to approve the first major North Sea oil and gas project in almost a decade as ministers face pressure to increase drilling during the war against Iran. The Daily Telegraph notes what it calls a “rare attack” on Donald Trump by the Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch after she accused the US president of making a “mess” in the Middle East and criticised what she said was his lack of a co-ordinated plan.
The Guardian says the property developer, Nick Candy, has sold his mansion in Chelsea for a reported £275m in a transaction described by the paper as “the most expensive on record in London and one of the biggest in the world”. Candy, who is the honorary treasurer of Reform UK and a major donor to the party, has declined to comment. The identity of the buyer has not been made public.
A fault with the toilet on board Nasa’s Orion spacecraft is the main news for the Sun, which calls the problem “one giant leak for mankind”. But the Daily Star says fears that the astronauts “had nowhere to boldly go” were resolved when the Artemis II mission control in Houston gave them instructions on how to mend it. According to the Times, crowds were left “in awe” by the launch of Orion when it blasted off from Florida yesterday. The paper picks out the emotional response of the BBC’s science editor, Rebecca Morelle saying she addressed viewers with “tears in her eyes” in a reaction that “soon went viral”.