You can unsubscribe at any time.Thank you for subscribingWe have more newslettersShow meSee ourprivacy noticeThe grieving family of a Covid victim say they are heartbroken after a funeral director refused to dress him before he was cremated over infection fears.Relatives of Kenneth Malet were told he would have to be put in his coffin in the hospital gown he died in due to “company policy.”Son Jordan Malet, 39, has since blasted uncaring funeral directors at a Kent branch of Co op Funeralcare for treating his dad “like a number”.Kenneth, 67, passed away unexpectedly on January 9 from coronavirus related pneumonia after being hospitalised for an unrelated issue.He had a 3,995 silver plan with the Co op but his relatives were horrified when staff said they would not wash or dress him before his send off.Do you have a view on this story? Let us know in the comments below.Prince Charles and Camilla receive first dose of Covid 19 vaccineThe family say their local branch of the nationwide firm, in Maidstone, also refused to allow a separate company to fulfil their wishes and then return the body before it was sent to the crematorium.Jordan, a mortgage broker, said: “It disgusting. To be honest with you it just felt like my dad was a number. It didn feel like he mattered to them at all.”Jordan explained Kenneth, a loving family man with four grandchildren, had been upbeat on the phone the day before he died even complimenting the hospital food.The devastated son said his dad had also been fine around 2am when he was checked on by hospital staff, but just an hour and a half later, he was dead.The family had to wait a week for Kenneth death certificate due to a back log at the hospital.But when Jordan contacted the Co op, staff said due to his death being Covid related they would not be able to wash or dress him.Kenneth, 67, passed away unexpectedly on January 9 from coronavirus related pneumonia after being hospitalised for an unrelated issue(Image: Triangle News)The funeral company also confirmed that since Kenneth had paid into the plan for 18 months, he qualified for a full funeral plan redemption with Co op Funeralcare.But Jordan explained rather than the planned send off, his much loved dad would instead be placed inside a coffin and a bodybag, still wearing his hospital gown, and cremated.He checked with hospital staff to see if this was due to government safety guidelines but was told some funeral parlours were allowing grieving families to see their loved ones and after querying with Co op was informed the rule was down to “company policy”.Government guidelines say viewings and washing and dressing Covid victims is permitted as long as the correct precautions are taken, for instance wearing PPE..