Ian Brady's final act of evil was to demand that his ashes be scattered on the moors where he buried his victims, it has been claimed.

The twisted serial killer is believed to have made the request in his will, but a Coroner last night refused to release his body until assurances were given that the demand was not met.

Brady died of heart failure on Monday night at Ashworth high security hospital on Merseyside.

At an inquest into his death, held Southport Town Hall on Tuesday, the senior coroner for Sefton said it would not be morally right for Brady's ashes to be scattered on Saddleworth Moor - the place where he and Myra Hindley infamously buried their victim's bodies.