Grieving Mom Speaks Out After Allegedly Discovering Her Dead Son in Baby Bouncer at Funeral Director’s Home: Report

A mother in England has come forward after allegedly discovering her deceased baby near a TV playing cartoons in the living room of a funeral director.

Zoe Ward’s son, Bleu, passed away from brain damage at the U.K.’s Leeds General Infirmary in 2021 when he was only three weeks old, according to a BBC investigation. Following the advice of a family friend, the 32-year-old mother said she sought support from Florrie’s Army, a baby loss support and funeral service.

According to their Facebook page, Florrie’s Army encourages families to share their stories of infant loss. The BBC investigation noted that the organization—founded by Amie Upton after her daughter was stillborn in 2017—also provides “free handprints, photographs, baby clothing and a dedicated funeral service.”

Ward said her son’s body was collected from the hospital by someone representing the organization. However, when she visited Florrie’s Army the following day, she said she was “terrified” to find Upton allegedly watching “cartoons” next to her son’s body, which she claims had been placed in a baby bouncer in the living room, according to the BBC.

“I realized it was Bleu and she [Ms. Upton] says: ‘Come in, we’re watching PJ Masks,'” Ward told the outlet, referring to the children’s television series. “There’s a cat scratcher in the corner, I could hear a dog barking, and there was another [dead] baby on the sofa. It wasn’t a nice sight.”

After the incident, Ward said she called her mother “screaming” that “it’s mucky, it’s dirty, he can’t stay here.”

She later hired another funeral director to ensure her son would no longer be left in Upton’s care. “I didn’t want him in that house,” Ward told the BBC, describing the experience as “weird,” leaving her “upset and angry.”

Upton told the BBC she had only received two complaints in the eight years since founding Florrie’s Army. West Yorkshire Police confirmed to PEOPLE that officers had investigated two reports “alleging improper care” provided by the funeral service since 2021.

“Detectives made extensive enquiries into both reports, exploring multiple legislative and regulatory avenues, including liaison with partners, to establish whether there were any criminal matters to investigate,” police said, adding that “no potential crimes were identified.”

“We [recognize] the concerns raised by these two families will have added to the distress they felt during an already incredibly difficult time,” the statement continued. “Our thoughts remain with them.”

PEOPLE reached out to Zoe Ward, Amie Upton, and Florrie’s Army for further comment.

According to The Telegraph, bodies should be kept in a clean, clinical environment, stored at roughly 39 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit. The BBC reported that the funeral industry in England and Wales is largely unregulated, leaving significant discretion in how funeral directors handle and store bodies.

However, two main trade organizations—the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) and the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF)—have a joint code of conduct requiring regular inspections of member premises and procedures. Upton was reportedly not affiliated with either organization, the BBC noted.

The investigation also mentioned that Upton owns a cold cot, which uses “electrical cooling pads to maintain lower temperatures,” but claimed evidence suggested bodies were not always kept there.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust stated it only allows bodies to be signed out of its mortuaries by authorized funeral directors. On the day Bleu left the facility, he was signed out by Philip Gallagher of Gallagher Funeral Services, located in the Leeds suburb of Headingley, according to the BBC.

In a statement to PEOPLE, Gallagher confirmed a “working relationship” with Upton for five years but declined to comment further on the allegations regarding babies’ bodies being taken to her home.

Rabina Tindale, Chief Nurse at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, told PEOPLE that the trust had “received several serious concerns about services provided by Amie Upton” over the years.

“Given these concerns, and the fact that some families have believed services are linked to or supported by the Trust, we must be clear that neither Amie Upton nor Florrie’s Army is endorsed by, or associated with, Leeds Teaching Hospitals,” Tindale said.

“When we first became aware of concerns, we implemented extra steps in our mortuary services on top of our already robust measures,” she added. “Since 2021, we have had specific safeguarding measures in place, including monitoring Amie’s attendance when visiting deceased patients at the mortuary in her funeral service role.”

“Actions were further strengthened this year, including Amie no longer being allowed to be present in our Maternity services unless as a patient herself,” Tindale continued.

“We support bereaved families during their most difficult times through tailored, compassionate, and regulated services. We have dedicated staff, including bereavement midwives and nurses, who provide [personalized] support for bereaved mothers and their families,” she concluded. “They always respect each family’s individual needs and wishes.”