Undertakers working at a funeral home in east London have been suspended after viral footage emerged of them using a body bag to prank a colleague.
The video appears to have been taken by a camera set up in the corner of the room, ready to document the moment one of the workers at T Cribb & Sons funeral directors made their way over to a bag which clearly contained a body.
Given that undertakers spend their days dealing with deceased people, it would be natural for them to expect any body inside a bag to be still and quiet. Of course, when this doesn't turn out to be the case, it results in quite a shock.
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See the workers carry out the practical joke below:
It seems a number of the staff members were in on the joke, with just one man left terrified when his co-worker opened up a body bag and a living, breathing man leapt out.
The surprised man jumped back from the table and made his shock clear with an expletive, while the rest of the workers burst out laughing at the success of the apparent plan.
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Not everyone was as amused at the situation, however, and after the footage was shared on Twitter many slammed the scene as 'disrespectful' given that it took place in a funeral home.
On its website, T Cribb & Sons claims it has 'an unrivalled reputation for commitment to excellence', saying staff 'spend time respecting and honouring loved ones' final wishes'.
Some members of staff involved in the video have been suspended as a result of their actions, with John Harris, senior partner at T Cribbs and Sons, saying it was a joke which 'should never have happened or been shared.'
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He commented: 'I'm lost for words. It's a family business and I've been in it for 50 years. All the good work I've done in that time, you can see it destroyed by some foolishness. I'm at a loss really.
"I get why people think it's disrespectful. At the end of the day some thought they'd pay a prank on somebody. I can't stand here and condone it. Where's the common sense?'
Harris noted that he may have been able to deal with the situation internally if it hadn't been posted online, but said now he might have to lose experienced staff members, one of who has been working at the funeral home for 25 years.
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He continued: 'The people involved are really good professional people, and I know that sounds strange to say when you see that video.
'Nowadays you can't do things like this. I'd like to offer an unreserved apology if the video offended anybody.'
Though some viewers were critical of the footage, others defended the joke and encouraged people to 'have a sense of humour' and see the prank as a way for undertakers to 'keep [their] spirits up'.
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Topics: UK News
Emily Brown