A shortage of cemetery spaces has led to council officers investigating the possibility of reburying corpses and placing new graves on top.

Local authorities across Sussex are looking at options for more burial space.

In Worthing it is estimated there is only burial space for the next five to six years at Durrington Cemetery.

Worthing Borough Council is now looking into the possibility at Broadwater Cemetery in the town of reburying corpses deeper and then placing new graves on top.

Officers are awaiting the outcome of a study for a similar project in London before proceeding.

Adur District Council has announced a £150,000 project to extend Southwick Cemetery, creating 900 new graves, which is estimated will be enough for the next 50 years.

Keith Dollemore, the council’s cabinet member for clean and green environment, said: "The extension will provide urgently needed new burial space at Southwick.

“We have had to increase the cost of burials to help pay for this scheme but we feel it is worth every penny to provide the extra burial plots."

Tim Morris, chief executive of the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management, said: "Diminishing burial space is currently a national problem. Therefore it is pleasing to see that Adur Council has been able to secure and guarantee this vital and sensitive service.”

In Eastbourne burial space is predicted to run out at Langney Cemetery within ten years.

A spokesman for Eastbourne Borough Council said: “We are developing the cemetery to provide the community with additional burial space which is anticipated will extend this period by a further five years.

“The council will continue to seek options to address provision beyond 2024, however, at this point no specific sites have been identified.”

Chichester District Council predicts it has space for between 600 to 800 burials, which will be enough for the next ten to 15 years.

A council spokeswoman said land adjacent at both its cemeteries allowed for expansion if required.

In Crawley a spokesman said there is space left at Snell Hatch Cemetery, which recently had 400 graves created, for the next eight years.

Spokesmen for councils in Brighton, Arun and Hastings said they saw no immediate problems with burial space.

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