Family of Mohamed Amied Neda held second funeral six months on from tragedy

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

The police have apologised after a Grenfell victim’s bone fragment was found in a tumble dryer six months after the tragedy.

The family of Mohamed Amied Neda held a second funeral after the discovery was made a few weeks ago, when police sent his clothes to be cleaned and found “one piece of his bone”.

Mr Neda, 57, jumped from the tower block and died as a result of multiple injuries consistent with a fall.

His wife Flora has spoken of her anger at the police and said the reburial was harder than the first funeral.

She told Channel 4 News: “I’m angry with that. We are angry. Why didn’t they check proper? Why did it take so long? Even the police aren’t getting the answer for me.

“They tell the truth for us, I think it is respectful but we are angry because why they didn’t check first time and they didn’t tell us?

“This time is more difficult from the first time, it is more difficult, we did again. The ceremony ... reburied, everything.”

The Metropolitan police said they had apologised to the family for the “distress that this has caused” and said Grenfell was “one of the most complex investigations” ever undertaken by the force.

“Mr Neda’s clothing was sent to an external company for professional cleaning of each item prior to their return to his family,” a Scotland Yard spokeswoman said.

“Each person’s items are cleaned within an isolated environment so no cross-contamination can occur. It was during this process that a small fragment of bone was discovered. Applying the same rigorous identification regime used throughout this operation the fragment was confirmed as originating from Mr Neda.”

She added: “At no stage during the postmortem was it identified that there was a possibility any part of his body was missing.”

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Mrs Neda and her son Farhad were the only residents to make it out of the 23rd floor at the top of Grenfell tower.

She said she was comforted that her husband spent his final moments trying to help their neighbours. “I’m proud of him, he helped people and he died because he wanted to help more people.”

In the moments before he died, Mr Neda left his family a final message: “Goodbye, I am leaving this world, goodbye. I hope you forgive me. Goodbye everyone.”

Police believe the final death toll from the fire was 71, including a stillborn baby.