HOSPITAL mortuaries released the wrong bodies to bereaved relatives and funeral directors in a series of "unimaginably awful" blunders last year.

A total of 75 major incidents were reported to the Human Tissue Authority, of which 11 related to the release of incorrect bodies.

The blunders meant grieving families were presented with the wrong body when asked to identify loved ones or funeral directors were sent the wrong corpse ahead of services.

The scandal was uncovered following a Freedom of Information request reported by the Daily Mirror.

Other incidents included 28 cases of accidental damage to a body.

On five occasions security breaches saw unauthorised individuals gain access to mortuaries.

There were also three cases of the disposal or retention of a whole foetus or foetal tissue against the express wishes of the family.

James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough was the worst-performing hospital, with four incidents reported last year including one case of the wrong body being released.

A spokeswoman said: “Annually, we release approximately 3,000 bodies from the mortuary, and the four incidents represent 0.13 per cent of the work we do.

“Our mortuary staff take great pride in caring for the deceased and ensuring... families are treated with dignity and respect.”

The Countess of Chester Hospital in Chester was another hospital to release a body to the wrong funeral director last year.

The Human Tissue Authority said mortuaries deal with around 330,000 bodies a year and the mistakes “a very small proportion of cases”.

A spokesman said: "Although they are rare, when they happen we work with establishments to ensure a thorough investigation takes place, and improvements are made to reduce the risk of similar incidents happening again."

But Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth said: "When a family is grieving it must be unimaginably awful that something like this happens."