A grieving mother has been left devastated after Royal Mail lost her son's ashes - and then refused to provide full compensation for their loss.
The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, had sent her son's remains to be buried near his childhood home in Sussex.
Her 27-year-old son had died by suicide two years ago.
She posted the urn First Class from her home in Somerset to a friend - but it failed to arrive at its destination.
A staggering three months later, Royal Mail admitted the ashes had been sent to the wrong address due to a mix-up with labels.
The postal service claimed a label from a different parcel had "somehow got stuck" on the box containing the urn.
In a further blow, Royal Mail informed the mother that no substantial compensation would be provided as the remains had "no intrinsic value".
They also stated her 409g package exceeded the postal weight limit for human ashes by 359g, claiming it should have been "prohibited from being sent".
Speaking to The Sun, the distraught mother accused Royal Mail of having "no compassion" for her situation.
"No money could replace my son's ashes - they were priceless," she told the newspaper.
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She explained that she simply wished to know what had happened to the lost urn.
Royal Mail eventually sent a £50 cheque as a gesture of "goodwill" to the bereaved mother.
"We are truly sorry for the loss of this important item," the postal service said in a statement.
They added: "We did everything we could to try to locate it but sadly without success on this occasion."
It follows a string of damning allegations made against Royal Mail last December regarding delivery practices.
Several postal workers claimed they were instructed to "fake deliveries" by recording parcels as "inaccessible" even when delivery attempts weren't made.
Workers alleged a "culture of greed" existed among higher management, who could receive bonuses of up to £5,000 annually.
Business and Trade Minister Justin Madders, who oversees postal service affairs, called the claims "disturbing" and requested an investigation.
But Royal Mail firmly denied the allegations - dismissing them as "nonsense".
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The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, had sent her son's remains to be buried near his childhood home in Sussex.
Her 27-year-old son had died by suicide two years ago.
She posted the urn First Class from her home in Somerset to a friend - but it failed to arrive at its destination.
A staggering three months later, Royal Mail admitted the ashes had been sent to the wrong address due to a mix-up with labels.
The postal service claimed a label from a different parcel had "somehow got stuck" on the box containing the urn.
In a further blow, Royal Mail informed the mother that no substantial compensation would be provided as the remains had "no intrinsic value".
They also stated her 409g package exceeded the postal weight limit for human ashes by 359g, claiming it should have been "prohibited from being sent".
Speaking to The Sun, the distraught mother accused Royal Mail of having "no compassion" for her situation.
"No money could replace my son's ashes - they were priceless," she told the newspaper.
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She explained that she simply wished to know what had happened to the lost urn.
Royal Mail eventually sent a £50 cheque as a gesture of "goodwill" to the bereaved mother.
"We are truly sorry for the loss of this important item," the postal service said in a statement.
They added: "We did everything we could to try to locate it but sadly without success on this occasion."
It follows a string of damning allegations made against Royal Mail last December regarding delivery practices.
Several postal workers claimed they were instructed to "fake deliveries" by recording parcels as "inaccessible" even when delivery attempts weren't made.
Workers alleged a "culture of greed" existed among higher management, who could receive bonuses of up to £5,000 annually.
Business and Trade Minister Justin Madders, who oversees postal service affairs, called the claims "disturbing" and requested an investigation.
But Royal Mail firmly denied the allegations - dismissing them as "nonsense".
Find Out More...