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Scotland’s first funeral industry tsar will target rogue humanists after a surge in popularity of non-religious services.

Inspector of funeral directors Natalie McKailis is looking into complaints that the growing number of secular ceremonies has attracted so-called celebrant cowboys.

The industry is not regulated, meaning anyone can set themselves up as a celebrant and command fees of up to £200 a funeral.

(Image: UGC)

Office of National Statistics figures for 2016 show 14million Britons have no faith compared with 7.7million in 2001, coinciding with a rise in demand for humanist services.

It’s claimed a celebrant conducted an Orange Lodge member’s funeral dressed as a Catholic priest and asked: “I wonder what the blue nose b*****d would have thought about this?”

Another celebrant is said to have shocked mourners by including the line “the c***s were sweating like rapists” in the euology.

(Image: Daily Record)

The family of the Orangeman are believed to have approved the Catholic priest stunt at Daldowie crematorium in Uddingston, Lanarkshire, but it is claimed some mourners were upset and complained.

The incident with the rapist reference is said to have occurred at South Lanarkshire Crematorium, in Blantyre.

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There are also concerns over the regulation of celebrants. Former police officer and convicted drug dealer Craig Flowers is listed on the website of Independent Humanist Ceremonies. He was sentenced to a year in jail for cocaine-dealing in 2010.

Examples like these have been met with calls from the Humanist Society Scotland for regulations to be introduced that will license celebrants.

Director of services Lynsey Kidd said: “That cowboy celebrants seek to use Humanist Society Scotland’s hard-earned trust from the public for their own commercial gain is shameful.

“Humanist Society Scotland are growing increasingly frustrated with individuals who are self-styled humanist without being authentic. We’d welcome a move to better controls regarding who is performing such ceremonies.

"This could be through ensuring celebrants are provided by responsible organisations managed in a transparent and consumer-focused manner.”

Andy McSorley, of the Caledonian Humanist Association, added: “The funeral industry is turning into the wild west with all manner of cowboys springing up.

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“The idea anyone can get access to grieving families is a scandal. If you want to be a taxi driver, you need a licence. If you want to serve alcohol, you need a licence. It should be the same for celebrants.

“This needs regulation and an independent ombudsman. At the moment, families upset at how a funeral was conducted have no one to complain to.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “In July 2017 we appointed Scotland’s first ever Inspector of Funeral Directors.

"Since her appointment, she has been reviewing the funeral profession in Scotland with a view to making recommendations to ministers on how funeral directors businesses should be regulated, including whether a licensing regime should be introduced.

“The Inspector is expected to make her recommendations by the end of 2018.”