Anita Manning's auction house criticised for offering human remains

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Anita Manning's auction house criticised for offering human remains3 hours ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleJonathan GeddesGlasgow and west reporterGreat Western AuctionHaving human remains up for auction was described as unethical by expertsA Glasgow auction house founded by TV presenter Anita Manning has been criticised for offering human remains for sale. Human bones, including a skull, were due to go under the hammer on Friday, but Great Western Auctions withdrew the item for sale after being contacted by Scotland News. The auction was described by experts as being "unethical and unacceptable in any form", with the body parts likely to have originated in India or China and then sold overseas to be used in universities for study.

The lot was valued at between £500-£800 and came in a box marked as belonging to an anatomy class at the University of Glasgow. More stories from Glasgow & West ScotlandMore stories from ScotlandIt is not illegal in the UK to sell or auction off human remains if they are more than 100 years old. However, the fact that many of the remains used in medical classes came from other countries and were likely not to have the consent of the deceased has prompted concerns.

The Details

Dr Lauren McIntyre, of the British Association for Biological Anthropology and Osteoarchaeology, said auction sales such as the one that had been planned for Glasgow were unacceptable. She told Scotland News: "The buying and selling of human remains for commercial gain robs the deceased of their dignity, and is both unethical and unacceptable in any form. "Most medical and anatomical remains like the ones that were to go to auction in Glasgow are the product of 20th Century mass export from countries like India and China, rather than being from consenting donors.

"The export of human skeletons from India was only banned in 1985 amid government fears of grave robbing and murder, although there is evidence that the trade continues. "The export of human skeletons from China was only banned in 2008. Therefore, many of the examples seen for sale may actually be of very recent date.

"Great Western AuctionsSome of the bones that had been due to go to auctionProf Gordon Findlater is HM's Inspector of Anatomy - meaning he oversees the licensing and regulation of anatomical services in the UK. He told Scotland News there were several possibilities for how the bones came up for auction. These ranged from a student borrowing the remains for study - which used to be allowed many years ago at the university - and not returning them, to them being a donation from the family of a doctor who had owned the bones for work purposes.

"Without knowing who is selling these bones, it is impossible to know how the seller came across them," he said.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.