The funeral fakers: Mystery as priest arrives for service at one of London’s most historic churches only to find the mourners are actors, the coffin is empty, the dead man might not be – and the whole thing ‘was organised by a paedophile’

A London priest arrived to conduct a funeral at one of the capital’s most historic churches, only to discover that the mourners were fake and the coffin was empty.

The bizarre mystery left locals in one of the capital’s most exclusive areas baffled.

A lavish funeral was due to take place at the London Oratory Roman Catholic Church in South Kensington at 11am on Monday. There was a horse-drawn hearse, two luxury vintage cars, men in top hats, a full choir and a church full of photos of a young man. There was even a director who filmed the tragic day.

Yet the funeral was canceled when the priest conducting the service was stunned to discover that the body was missing from the coffin and that the mourners were paid actors.

Father Rupert McHardy, 49, had prepared a sermon and was in his robes ready to start the service when the choir director took him aside.

The funeral was to take place for a 23-year-old Latvian man who was reported missing over New Year.

It’s unclear if he’s even dead – or if his family are also innocent victims of the sinister scam.

The organizer claimed to be Clyde Zaube, who said he was the brother of the ‘dead’ man, Lauris Zaube.

Clyde said Lauris was found frozen in the ice. The funeral directors, T Cribb and Sons, even received a death certificate – although it was said to have come from Russia.

Although Lauris Zaube is a 23-year-old Latvian man who went missing after a New Year’s Eve party near a frozen dam, his body has apparently not yet been found and he does not appear to have a brother named Clyde. .

In another shocking twist, Father Rupert said he believes the man who organized the funeral is actually a convicted pedophile, who MailOnline is currently not naming.

Do you know the people involved? Email chris.matthews@mailonline.co.uk

Father Rupert told MailOnline: ‘The funeral (request) came in three or four weeks ago.

“We said, ‘Is there a connection (with the church)?’ and they said yes, from someone who suggested he be his brother, Clyde Zaube.

‘He chose the lectures.

‘It all started to unravel on the day of the funeral.

‘The undertakers wanted to collect the body and at the last minute were told: ‘There is no body, we have ashes.’

Father Rupert said there were two groups of people in the church. The first group, who turned out to be actors, were respectful and polite, although one of them complained that they had not been paid.

He said: “There was another group of people in puffer jackets and balaclavas, including Clyde Zaube.

‘They had hoods and dark glasses. They looked sinister.

“I tried to talk to this Clyde Zaube, but he wouldn’t talk to me.

‘It became clear that he was not who he claimed to be.

‘It was all some kind of fake funeral.

“They pretended there was a body and mourners.

“One of the actors knew the name of the person who contacted them to come.

‘He’s quite an unpleasant character.

“I’m pretty sure he’s the one claiming to be Clyde Zaube.

“When I realized it wasn’t a real funeral, we said we couldn’t do it.

“We told them to leave and they all left relatively happy.

“If they had been a real family, they would have cried and cried.

‘We got paid. The undertakers were paid. We haven’t lost any money, but it’s very strange.

‘I was quite shocked afterwards. I felt very disturbed by it.

‘Normally you take people at their word.

‘No expense has been spared: top hats, a horse-drawn hearse, two expensive vintage cars, a full choir.

‘I was afraid that some form of violence would take place.

‘I thought: I have to stop because it’s all fake.

“It was very creepy.”

MailOnline has contacted Riga police for comment.