From a car body repair shop to directing funerals – one family's career path has taken a surprising turn after they transformed a van into a private ambulance.

The Dartford family, who own Autotech Smart Repairs, have now opened their own funeral directors opposite their motor yard.

Scott and Charlotte Lilley talk of how their new venture came to be

It all began after they fitted out a van for a customer to make it suitable for collecting the deceased, and the family saw a gap in the market.

Funeral director Scott Lilley said: "This guy crashed his ambulance and wanted one of the rise-and-fall decks put into his new van.

"We did that for him and he said he could not hire vans while his was off the road, so we came up with the idea of building and hiring out private ambulances ourselves.

"Along the way, while we were trying to get ourselves out there, we got into working with other funeral directors where we started to help with pallbearing and out-of-hour collections.

"As we progressed, more doors opened. We put a mortuary in place where we were storing the deceased to help other directors out. We then progressed into purchasing our own hearse and limousine.

"We did more and more work for funeral directors and we just found this passion for the industry."

They have been working on private ambulances for the last two-and-a-half years and despite owning their own funeral parlour still hire them out to other companies.

The 47-year-old added: "It is not like opening a shop. It is a very different industry to start in.

"I am a bit of a gambler, I see an opportunity. It is something I am passionate about. I have just thrown everything at it.

"When we set this up, I never imagined this. A lot of funeral directors open with nothing behind them, the costs then build. The way we did it was the opposite way round.

"It is completely different from the motor industry. You feel like you have a purpose. You are helping other families in their bad times who have lost a loved one, and the reward you get from them is because you have helped them and remembered the life of their loved one."

Scott works alongside his daughter Charlotte, son Reece and close family friend George Lotte who are all determined to see the new business thrive and serve their community.

Charlotte, who is the company's funeral arranger, added: "We are a family business and we want it to work. We fell into it but it takes a lot of work.

"Some people may say we have not been in the industry and that it may be a bad idea but it has taken a lot of work. There has been a lot of stressful and sleepless nights.

"You have to have that passion to be able to do this job. I do not think it is something that everyone can do, having the passion and wanting to help people in their difficult times."

Despite only owning their own parlour for less than six months, the crew has seen how the funeral industry is changing and veering away from the traditional.

They spoke about some of the quirkier celebrations they have attended including a Star Wars-themed arrangement and one where they took a coffin onto a stage.

Live streaming of funerals also became a more widely-available option during the pandemic where restrictions limited the number of mourners allowed to attend, but Charlotte, 27, said that although these have eased, recording the service is "here to stay".

Scott said: "The industry is changing, it is a tradition but people still want things that are different. It is more about celebrating their life now and not mourning. The person would want something they would have loved.

"We did our first driving job for another director and there were people taking photos with lots of cameras. That is what people want now."

Lilley Funeral Directors in London Road, Stone, aim to set themselves apart from other family-run parlours and offer to arrange everything for the families including organising wakes, a service few others provide.