In recent weeks, a wave of shock and grief has swept across Leeds, England, as revelations have emerged about the handling of deceased infants by a local funeral director. The controversy centers on Amie Upton and her not-for-profit organization, Florrie’s Army, which offers bereavement support and funeral services for families who have lost babies. The accounts of two bereaved families, Zoe Ward and Cody and Liam Townend, have ignited a national conversation about dignity, trust, and the lack of regulation in the UK’s funeral industry.
Zoe Ward’s ordeal began in 2021, after her three-week-old son Bleu died of brain damage at Leeds General Infirmary. On the advice of a friend, Ward contacted Florrie’s Army, founded by Amie Upton in 2017 following the stillbirth of her own daughter, Florrie-Mae. According to the BBC, Florrie’s Army promises grieving families free handprints, photographs, baby clothing, and a dedicated funeral service. But when Ward visited Upton’s home the day after Bleu’s body was collected from the hospital, she was met with a scene she described as “terrifying.”
“I realized it was Bleu and she [Ms. Upton] says: ‘Come in, we’re watching PJ Masks,’” Ward recounted to the BBC, referencing the popular children’s cartoon. Ward described seeing her son’s body placed in a baby bouncer in the living room, cartoons playing on the television, a cat scratcher in the corner, and another deceased baby on the sofa. “It wasn’t a nice sight,” she said. Overwhelmed, Ward called her mother “screaming,” insisting, “It’s mucky, it’s dirty, he can’t stay here.” She immediately arranged for another funeral director to take over Bleu’s care, telling PEOPLE she was left “upset and angry” by the experience.
The Townends’ story, which unfolded in January 2025, echoes similar distress. Cody and Liam Townend’s daughter, Macie-Mae, was stillborn at 25 weeks. The couple, who had tried for four years to have a child, trusted Upton to oversee their daughter’s funeral. Ten days after last seeing Macie-Mae, the Townends discovered her body at Upton’s home, wrapped in a blanket on a sofa, six miles from the funeral parlour where they believed she was being cared for. “I was mortified. I didn’t know what to say, didn’t know what to think,” Cody Townend told BBC Newsnight. “Dignity is what Macie-Mae was robbed of. She had no dignity.”
Liam Townend added, “The baby should have been in a chapel of rest and she wasn’t, so we were like, ‘what’s going on here?’” The couple said they wanted to get their daughter out of Upton’s house “as quickly as possible,” calling the situation “not normal.” Their experience has fueled calls for greater regulation of the funeral industry, with Cody Townend remarking, “It’s harder to open up your own burger van than it is to open your own funeral home. It needs to change.”
In response to mounting public concern, West Yorkshire Police confirmed to PEOPLE and the BBC that they had investigated two reports about Florrie’s Army since 2021, but “no potential crimes were identified.” The force stated, “Detectives made extensive enquiries into both reports, exploring multiple legislative and regulatory avenues, including liaison with partners, to establish whether there were any criminal matters to investigate.” Police acknowledged, “We [recognize] the concerns raised by these two families will have added to the distress they felt during an already incredibly difficult time.”
Amie Upton, now 38, has publicly defended her actions. Speaking to the Daily Mail, she said, “I have provided so many families with love and care. I’ve given them everything, literally everything, and it’s only these two who have complained.” Upton maintains that she brought babies home to ensure they were never left alone and insists she always used a refrigerated CuddleCot or cold pad to keep the bodies cool. “Some parents don’t want their little babies put in a morgue, which can be cold and clinical. Instead they can be in a loving home with someone who has been through what they suffered and understands, and that’s what I offered them,” Upton explained.
Upton also refutes allegations that she took babies from the hospital morgue without permission. She told the Daily Mail that she worked with authorized funeral directors and only brought babies to her home at the request of parents. Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust confirmed to PEOPLE that bodies are only released from its mortuaries to authorized funeral directors. Philip Gallagher of Gallagher Funeral Services, who signed out both Bleu’s and Macie-Mae’s bodies, acknowledged a “working relationship” with Upton but did not address the specific complaints in detail.
The Trust, which once welcomed Upton’s fundraising for NHS maternity services, has since banned her from entering its mortuaries and maternity wards. Rabina Tindale, Chief Nurse at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, stated, “Given these concerns, and the fact that some families have believed services are linked to or supported by the Trust, we must be clear that neither Amie Upton or Florrie’s Army is endorsed by, or associated with, Leeds Teaching Hospitals.” Tindale emphasized that the Trust has implemented “extra steps in our mortuary services on top of our already robust measures,” including monitoring Upton’s attendance and ultimately barring her from maternity services except as a patient.
The controversy has exposed a troubling gap in oversight. According to The Telegraph, the funeral industry in England and Wales is largely unregulated, with no statutory authority overseeing funeral directors’ practices. While two major trade organizations—the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) and the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF)—have codes of conduct and conduct regular inspections, membership is voluntary. Upton and Florrie’s Army are not affiliated with either group, according to the BBC.
The government has acknowledged the distress caused to grieving families. In a statement reported by the BBC, officials said families “rightly expected their children to be treated with dignity and respect” and confirmed they are “considering the full range of options to improve standards” in the funeral industry. Leeds MP Mark Sewards, who represents the Townends, is pushing for new regulatory powers and has vowed to “hold the government’s feet to the flames” to ensure changes are made.
The outcry over these cases comes amid a broader reckoning for the funeral industry. Earlier this year, another funeral director faced criminal charges after dozens of bodies and ashes were discovered improperly stored in Hull. In July, a government inquiry recommended the creation of a statutory regulator to prevent abuses and maintain standards. Both Zoe Ward and Cody Townend have joined calls for urgent legal reforms, determined that no other family should endure what they experienced.
For now, the living room of Amie Upton’s Leeds home remains a shrine to her daughter Florrie-Mae, filled with mementos and photographs. The debate over Florrie’s Army has forced the nation to confront uncomfortable questions about grief, trust, and the responsibilities owed to our most vulnerable—even after death.
