Ian Huntley's funeral cost taxpayers £2,000 as Soham double murderer is cremated in £265 eco-friendly coffin

Published: 17:01, 9 May 2026 | Updated: 17:01, 9 May 2026 Soham killer Ian Huntley received a taxpayer-funded cremation which featured a £265 eco-friendly coffin. Huntley was cremated in a service organised by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) after he was allegedly attacked at HMP Frankland in February. His funeral ran up costs of almost £2,000, which were footed by the taxpayer. Huntley murdered ten-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in 2002 and was jailed for a minimum of 40 years. Last month an inquest heard he suffered a fatal head injury from a metal bar in the high-security prison in which he was held before his death days later in Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary. A petition signed by 64,000 called for the MoJ not to use taxpayer funds to pay for his funeral. The prison service can pay up to £3,000 of taxpayer cash for funerals and memorial services for inmates who die in custody. According to The Independent, the MoJ spent £1,915 on Huntley's cremation, including £625 for 'professional services', £585 for the 'direct unattended' cremation, £275 to transfer his body from hospital, £65 for a cremation casket, and £100 for staff attendance and supervision. Ian Huntley, 52,was cremated in a £265 eco-friendly coffin in a funeral paid for by the taxpayer, it has been reported Inmate Anthony Russell, 43, has been charged with Huntley's murder after the Soham murderer was attacked at HMP Frankland in February The Ministry also spent £265 on a 'jute natural coffin', made from natural, biodegradable materials that provide minimal environmental impact. Under the MoJ's standard practice for covering basic funeral expenses, money is paid directly to the funeral director and does not cover the cost of wakes, headstones or burial plots. It was reported the coffin was selected because it was the most cost-effective option. Previous prisoners who have had their costs paid for by the state include Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe in 2020 and child killer Raymond Morris in 2014. Huntley's ashes were set to be returned to his mother, Lynda Richards, as his next of kin, next month. It was reported that Ms Richards visited Huntley in hospital, where he was said to be in a vegetative state after his life support machine was switched off. Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were murdered by Ian Huntley in 2002 after he lured them to his home A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: 'The murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman remain one of the most shocking and devastating cases in our nation's history, and our thoughts are with their families.' In August 2002 Huntley lured ten-year-olds Holly and Jessica - who had set off from a family barbecue to buy sweets - to his home where he murdered them and dumped their bodies in a drainage ditch near RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk. They were not found for two weeks. Huntley was previously targeted in prison in 2005, when he was scalded with boiling water. The following year he tried to kill himself in his cell and in 2010 he had his throat slashed. He was transferred to HMP Frankland in 2008, where he was attacked this year. Following his death inmate Anthony Russell, 43, was charged with his murder. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.