A cemetery is to close to new burials as it will run out of plots within the next month. Urmston Cemetery will close to new full burials in December as it only has a handful of plots left.

Trafford council has said it has enough burial space to meet the needs of all communities and faiths for 20 years at its other four cemeteries. The Queens Road cemetery in Urmston will also remain available for new cremated graves which use around half the space.

Trafford has five cemeteries, two in the north of the borough at Stretford and Urmston and three to the south at Hale, Sale and Dunham Lawn. Urmston Cemetery opened in 1892 and the council said they have used every available space to allow new burials to continue in it during recent years.

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Council officials are now looking into the possibility of creating more burial space on land at the rear of Urmston Cemetery which would allow it to be used for the next few years.

Coun Cath Hynes, executive member with responsibility for bereavement services, said: “It’s important that we support bereaved families particularly at their time of grief and I would like to reassure residents we have enough burial space in Trafford for at least the next 15 to 20 years.

“However, we also appreciate the needs of bereaved families to visit their loved ones locally if possible, and that’s why for Urmston Cemetery we will see if burial chambers could be used to allow burials to continue there for the next few years.”