Police wrap up Rockhampton funeral fraud investigation

A family claimed Harts Family Funerals had removed the body of Queensland grandmother Janice Cecilia Valigura, 74, from a $1700 silky oak coffin to a cheap pine box for cremation following her funeral last Monday.

Police kicked off investigations into the alleged fraud last week but after "extensive inquiries", officers had found "no evidence to substantiate a criminal offence".

No further action would be taken, police said.

On Wednesday, Harts Family Funerals director Tony Hart said the cheap "transport shell" had only been used to prevent the lacquer on Ms Valigura's coffin from cracking in the shift from 32-degree heat to a 4-degree cold room prior to the cremation.

He said a staff member had then mistakenly taken the body in the transfer shell to the crematorium, due to the similar cloth covers on both.

"Harts Family Funerals realised this mistake, immediately took responsibility and acted quickly to rectify it, with Mrs Valigura being cremated the same day in her original coffin," a statement from Harts Family Funeral stated.

"The family was advised of the mistake and witnessed the cremation of Mrs Valigura in her original coffin."

Mr Hart apologised "profusely" for any distress caused to the Valigura family.

"We would like to assure the public that Mrs Valigura was indeed cremated in the coffin which had been purchased for her and blessed by her family," he said.

"We have never and will never participate in a practice known as coffin swapping as this would be intentionally to disrespect the wishes of families during their most vulnerable moments in a direct violation of our industry's code and ethics.

"In the future we will never take another person out of a coffin before cremation for any reason."

with AAP