Tight security for Hindley funeral

Plans for Hindley's funeral were made some time ago

The funeral of the Moors Murderer Myra Hindley is to take place amid tight security.

The private service is to be held at Cambridge crematorium at 1930 GMT Wednesday. Her body will then be cremated.

Police say security is to be tight, to ensure the proceedings remain dignified

The service will be small, with the crematorium closed to the public during the service.

On Monday it emerged that fresh murder charges were being considered against Hindley at the time of her death.

The child killer, who died in hospital last Friday, was jailed for life in 1966 with Ian Brady for the murders of 10-year-old Lesley Ann Downey and Edward Evans, 17.

She later admitted killing 12-year-old Keith Bennett and Pauline Reade, 16, and helped police to unearth the latter's body on Saddleworth Moor. Keith's body has never been found.

Inquest tribute to Hindley's victims
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Police have been guarding Hindley's body since her death amid concerns that someone might attempt a revenge attack or try to take photographs of the corpse.

The Catholic funeral service will be conducted by the Rev Michael Teader, the chaplain at Highpoint Prison in Suffolk where Hindley served the last years of her sentence, it is reported.

Following the cremation Hindley's ashes will be removed immediately to an unknown location.

Keith Bennett's body has never been found

It was decided to hold the service out of normal hours after discussions between the police, the prison service and Cambridge City Council officials.

An inquest into Hindley's death was opened and adjourned on Monday.

A Home Office pathologist told the hearing the 60-year-old had died from a combination of bronchial pneumonia and hypertension.

It emerged on Monday that Greater Manchester Police and the Crown Prosecution Service were compiling a file which could have seen her charged with the murders of Keith and Pauline.

Dozen people attending

In June the European Court in June ruled that home secretaries had no right to determine how long killers were kept behind bars.

It now appears that if she had won her freedom after 36 years she would have been charged with the two youngsters' murders.

But her solicitor Andrew McCooey has said Hindley was a changed woman from the "icon of evil" depicted by the tabloid press.

Mr McCooey, who visited Hindley more than 100 times, said she had reformed and regretted her part in the deaths of five youngsters.

"She accepted that humanly she could never be forgiven, but she found peace... with God," he said.

Mr McCooey said he would be among the 12 or so family and friends expected to attend Hindley's funeral, including her mother, who lives in a Manchester nursing home.

Service cost

Before she died, Hindley drew up a list of people she wanted to attend.

A Prison Service spokeswoman said Hindley's family would make any decision on what would happen to her ashes.

The cost of the service would be met by Hindley's estate, she added.

"If a prisoner dies while in custody the prison would normally pay for the service," she said.

"Where someone makes their own arrangements, where Myra Hindley has, we look for the cost to be defrayed from the prisoner's estate."

Brady, now 64, is currently being held at the high security Ashworth Hospital on Merseyside and has said he never wants to be freed.