Dudley Council has confirmed that additional mourners are able to attend crematorium services and burials in the borough from this week.

The authority is acting on latest government guidance, which will see larger services in Gornal Wood Crematorium as well as additional mourners to be allowed outside both crematorium chapels.

At Gornal Wood, 16 mourners will now be able to attend in chapel with 15 additional mourners allowed to stand outside to listen to service via external speakers. 

Due to the smaller chapel size, Stourbridge Crematorium will still be limited to 10 persons in the chapel but an additional 15 will now be allowed outside. Burials in Dudley borough cemeteries will now be limited to 30 mourners, adhering to 2 metre distancing. Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of the council, said:

"Due to the coronavirus crisis we are having to carefully monitor and manage the number of people who can attend our services, following government guidelines to keep everyone as safe as possible.

"We are pleased to be able to offer space for additional mourners at some of our services but we know this is still a very difficult time for those who have lost loved ones and our hearts go out to all who are affected by the ongoing restrictions.

"I would like to thank the people of Dudley for continuing to make such sacrifices to help stop the spread of this virus, together we will defeat it."

The new rules on numbers came into force on Monday.