Family distraught after grandmother's horror coffin swap

A family has accused a funeral home of switching a grandmother's $1850 silk oak coffin for a cheap pine box just prior to her cremation. Photo / 123rf

A family is distraught after a funeral home allegedly switched a grandmother's NZ$1850 oak coffin for a cheap pine box for her cremation after a funeral service.

Queensland resident Janice Cecilia Valigura was farewelled on Monday after passing away aged 74, but the family's tragedy turned from mourning to horror.

The family had bought a top of the range silky oak casket as part of the funeral package.

But their day of mourning soon turned to anger and outrage.

The family told the Morning Bulletin that Janice was removed from her casket, wrapped in plastic and placed in a $76 pine box prior to her cremation - while letters written by her grandchildren and placed on her heart were thrown away.

When the family confronted the undertaker about the coffin swap, he allegedly told them it was "common practice".

The funeral home, Harts Family Funerals, has denied any wrongdoing but declined to comment, according to ABC.

Whitsunday Funerals and Crematorium director Jeff Doyle has previously raised concerns about the standards in the industry, telling ABC it is easy for funeral companies to swap coffins without anyone knowing.

"This is the sort of thing that's probably common practice around Australia.

"But unfortunately because most crematoriums, you're not allowed to go down and actually see the coffin go into the cremator, it's easy for them to do it.

"I feel sorry for the family in Rockhampton, I really do. I've been trying to get this out a long time."