POLICE are currently investigating claims of stolen hip replacements from Thornhill Crematorium, operated by Cardiff Council. An employee has been dismissed in connection with the missing implants.
The council, which oversees the crematorium on Thornhill Road, typically sells metals from joint and bone replacements after cremations and donates the proceeds to charity. However, a whistleblower alerted the press to the theft of two titanium implants from the site. A spokesman for South Wales Police confirmed the investigation, stating, “We can confirm a South Wales Police investigation into the alleged theft of orthopaedic implants at Thornhill Crematorium is currently ongoing.” No arrests have been made so far.
Sources indicate that the dismissed council employee allegedly allowed unauthorised access to the crematorium. However, it is believed that the former employee is not suspected of stealing the implants.
A council spokesman commented, “On being made aware of an unauthorised entry to the crematorium, an investigation was conducted, leading to a staff member being suspended and subsequently dismissed. During this unauthorised visit, two titanium orthopaedic joints were taken from a recycling container. These joints, set aside for recycling purposes, are sold by the council each year to raise money for various charities. Once they are earmarked for recycling, they are not traceable to any person.”
The spokesman added, “These matters were reported to the police, and we are assisting with their investigation. We understand the distress this story might cause to those who have used our services, but we want to assure them that a thorough investigation has been conducted, resulting in the dismissal of a staff member. Maintaining the highest standards among our employees is crucial to the council, and this has clearly not been upheld in this instance. We apologise to anyone distressed by this incident and assure everyone that measures are in place to prevent such occurrences in the future.”
The exact value of the stolen implants remains unknown. However, a BBC report from 2012 quotes metal recycling expert Ruud Verberne, stating, “The operation to provide a new hip may cost you around £5,000. But the return value as scrap is maybe, per kilo, around £10. And there are five hips per kilo.”
Most UK crematoriums participate in a green initiative that recycles implants such as titanium hip replacements and cobalt chrome knee joints, provided families give their consent. The proceeds from recycling often fund charitable projects. Remelted metals sometimes find new life in jet engines and cars. A paper in the International Journal of Oral Health Sciences cautions against reusing these implants as medical devices due to a higher risk of failure and infection.
