THE bodies of patients are being kept in refrigerated lorries at two Sussex hospitals unable to cope with the number of deaths, it was revealed today.

The beleaguered Eastbourne District General Hospital has so far stored a total of 60 bodies in the truck after its 65-space mortuary filled up over the Christmas and New Year holiday.Conquest Hospital in Hastings also revealed it had been forced to use temporary mortuary facilities in addition to its regular mortuary, which has the capacity to handle 44 bodies at a time. A spokesman for the Conquest Hospital in Hastings said: "We can confirm that we currently have a refrigerated container as a temporary mortuary.

"It was always part of our winter planning over the millennium period to use a refrigerated container as a temporary mortuary, should it prove absolutely necessary."

Hospital bosses blame the problems on the flu epidemic causing a sharp rise in deaths and the local crematorium in Eastbourne being closed for eight out of ten days over the holiday period. They say hiring the truck was the "sensible and proper" action to take.

Hospital chief executive Alan Randall said since Christmas Eve there had been 80 deaths in Eastbourne compared with just 28 for the same period last year.

He added: "The hospital has been under severe pressure and because of the bank holidays, the crematorium has only been open two days out of ten.

"We are trying to handle

it in as dignified a way as possible. The trailer was brought in before Christmas because we knew we would be in difficulties.

"In total, about 60 bodies have been stored in the trailer over the holiday period. The real problem stems from the crematorium not being open.

"We hope that relatives will understand the problems facing the hospital and there was no easy alternative."

The news comes as the Government revealed flu cases across the country are continuing to rise.

The Eastbourne crematorium, operated by the council and which is now running at its full capacity of 20 per day, was only open on December 29 and 30 during the holiday period.

The council said it had told funeral directors in the town that it would open up the crematorium if they were having problems but that no request was made.

There is such a backlog at the crematorium that the next available space is Monday, January 17.

Norman Baker, Lib Dem MP for Lewes said: "The first duty of the hospital is to ensure public safety in terms of health.

"It is better that bodies are stored in a refrigerated lorry than not stored at all.

"The fact that they are being stored in this way raises questions as to whether the mortuary facilities are adequate."

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