A HEARTBROKEN woman who lost her husband and son in the space of a few months fears the funeral director may have given her back the wrong ashes.

Ellen Slavin, 57, was distraught and confused when the ashes of her beloved husband Joseph were returned with two names.

The Govanhill woman only built up the courage to look at the ashes this week as she had hoped to place them with her son Thomas who died last July.

Thomas was just 35 when he passed suddenly as a result of an underlying issue with his heart.

The family had only just began grieving for Thomas when Joseph died of ill health at just 67 in November.

His ashes were collected by a family member from Desmond Maguire Funeral Directors in Crosshill’s Cathcart Road at the start of the year.

This week, however, the family opened up the box which the urn was placed in and discovered two official letters with details of cremation - and one of those names was not her husband.

The urn also had no sticker at the top with a name whereas the one she had been given for her son Thomas did have.

An emotional Ellen said: “I couldn’t believe it. I phoned up the funeral director and told him he had to come out and see it.

“I said it wasn’t my husband’s name on one of the letters within the urn.”

The envelope within the urn contained two letters. One which had the correct details for Joseph’s cremation and another for a man we have not named who passed away last May.

That man’s cremation also took place in a different location from Joseph’s service.

Ellen said: “The funeral director turned up within five minutes of that call.”

She added: “I can’t explain how I felt. I wasn’t crying, I was screaming.

“This could happen to anyone. I want an explanation. I don’t know how I am still standing. I feel like I am having a breakdown.

“It’s killing me. I can’t believe what they tell me even if they say it is my husband.”

Rosina M. Dolan, of BMK Wilson solicitors, said: “My client has no statement to provide other than he is satisfied that the correct ashes were released to Mrs Slaven’s representatives with regard to her late husband and son, and receipts were obtained.”