Ian Huntley's funeral cost the taxpayer £2,000 as Soham murderer cremated in 'eco-friendly' coffin

Taxpayers will pick up the £2,000 tab for Soham murderer Ian Huntley’s funeral after he died following an alleged attack at HMP Frankland in February. The child murderer was cremated in an eco-friendly “natural coffin” costing £265 at a service without any mourners, which was paid for by British taxes. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) forked out almost £2,000 in total for Huntley’s funeral service after he died in hospital days after he was allegedly attacked with a metal bar at the high security prison where the 52-year-old, was serving life for the murders of 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in 2002. Now, the MoJ has revealed it spent £1,915 on Huntley’s cremation, the Independent reports. The bill includes £625 for “professional services”, a £275 fee for transporting his body from the hospital. Taxpayers also shelled out £65 for a cremation casket and £265 for a “jute natural coffin”. Staff attendance and supervision also came in at £100, the ministry said. A petition was launched following Huntley’s death calling for the government not to use taxpayer funds to pay for the funeral, eventually gathering 64,000 signatures. The Ministry of Justice covers basic funeral expenses as standard practice, with up to £3,000 made available towards prisoners’ funeral costs. The cash is paid directly to the funeral director and does not cover the cost of wakes, headstones or burial plots. The jute natural coffin Huntley was buried in was made from biodegradable materials designed to have a minimal impact on the environment. It was also reportedly the cheapest option available. Huntley’s ashes are to be given to his mother, Lynda Richards, who is his next of kin. She reportedly paid Huntley a final visit in hospital where it is said he spent his final moments in a vegetative state after his life support machine was switched off. Ex-school caretaker Huntley attacked best friends Holly and Jessica after they left a family barbecue to buy sweets in August 2002 in Soham, Cambridgeshire. He later dumped their bodies in a ditch 10 miles away. Despite his denials he was convicted of the horrific crimes in a 2003 trial at the Old Bailey, sentenced to life behind bars with a minimum of 40 years. Inmate Anthony Russell, 43, was charged with his murder