Baby in mortuary since 1987 to be buried by council

The remains of a baby boy that have been in a mortuary for more than 21 years because his parents refused to register his death are to be buried by a council without their consent.

Christopher Blum was four months old when he died in June 1987. His body has been kept in a north London mortuary, frozen and wrapped in a package at the back of an adult-sized drawer marked "Baby Blum: Deceased".

Christopher's father Steve found him dead in his sleepsuit as he lay in his bedroom, with his hands bunched up to his face and with dried blood around his nose. A pathologist said the cause of death was sudden infant death syndrome (Sids) but because Christopher had been given a triple vaccination hours before his death his parents have refused to accept this. They are convinced the jabs were related to his death and have resisted burial so that further investigations could be made.



Now Enfield council, which has borne the £15-a-week cost of storing the body, has written to Steve Blum telling him they wish to move forward "to laying Christopher to rest". The council applied to the registrar general to certify the death and the coroner has given his approval for the remains to be removed from the mortuary.

The council says that the format of the registration certificate has changed and if Mr Blum registers the death, he is not signing for the cause of it.

The letter from a council official goes on: "I do appreciate what a very difficult and sensitive situation this is for you and your family and I will try to assist you as far as I can. However I do need to make you aware that if I have not heard from you within a month from the date of this letter, I will need to proceed with the registration of Christopher's death and I shall contact you again about your wishes for the funeral arrangements." Mr Blum has until August 18 to act; otherwise his child will be interred by the council. Yesterday he said he would not comply.

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