Murderer Ian Brady requested that his ashes be scattered where his victims were buried

Ian Brady, along with accomplice Myra Hindley, murdered five children in the 1960s. Photo/Supplied

Ian Brady's final act of evil was to demand that his ashes be scattered on the moors where he buried his victims, it has been claimed.

The twisted serial killer is believed to have made the request in his will, but a Coroner last night refused to release his body until assurances were given that the demand was not met, according to Daily Telegraph.

Brady died of heart failure on Monday night at Ashworth high security hospital on Merseyside.

Policemen digging at the scene where the body of Moors murder victim Lesley Downey was found. Photo/Getty Images

At an inquest into his death, held Southport Town Hall on Tuesday, the senior coroner for Sefton said it would not be morally right for Brady's ashes to be scattered on Saddleworth Moor - the place where he and Myra Hindley infamously buried their victim's bodies.

Terry West, 66, whose sister Lesley Ann Downey was murdered by Brady, said: "It is the final act of a twisted, evil man.

"For the coroner to order this ban must mean Brady stipulated his ashes should be scattered on Saddleworth Moor.

"It is a sick, final twist to cause his victims' families the greatest upset from beyond the grave."

West was informed by police that Brady had died in a telephone call at 9pm on Monday evening.

He opened a bottle of wine to mark the event. "We have been waiting for him to die for 50 years," he said.

Chief Inspector Ian Hanson, chairman of the Greater Manchester branch of the Police Federation, said Brady deserved no dignity in death.

Myra Hindley. Photo/AP

He said: "When somebody dies, it is natural in a civilised society that we show compassion.

However, there are exceptions - and this monster is one of them.

"He had no right to breathe the same air as those decent and dignified relatives whom he tortured for decades by refusing to assist in the search for their loved ones.

"He now takes his place in hell and he can rot there. As far as I am concerned, Ashworth Hospital can leave him out for the bin men."

Sumner told the hearing he had received a request to release the body of Brady, but he said he wanted certain assurances before doing so as emotions were high.

He said: "I would like an assurance before I do so that first of all the person who asked to take over responsibility for that funeral has a funeral director willing to deal with the funeral and that he has a crematorium willing and able to cremate Stewart-Brady's body."

He added: "I also wanted to have assurance that when Stewart-Brady is cremated his ashes will not be scattered on Saddleworth Moor. I think that's a right and proper moral judgment to make.

Lesley Ann Downey.

John Kilbride.

Keith Bennett, left, whose body has never been found, and Pauline Read.

"I think it would be offensive if Stewart-Brady's ashes were scattered on Saddleworth Moor."

The inquest heard that Brady's cause of death was heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The court heard that Brady had been treated by a palliative care team for the past two weeks because of his deteriorating health.

The hearing was told that Brady's feeding tube was removed on May 11 and that he had issued a do not resuscitate request in the event of cardiac arrest.

He was pronounced dead at 6.02pm on Monday and his body was identified by Ashworth site manager Michelle Anderton.