Families are being forced to wait up to three weeks to bury their deceased relatives in borough cemeteries after bosses imposed a limit of one burial per day due to chronic staffing shortages.
Officials at Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council’s environmental health department, which manages six cemeteries across the borough, introduced the limit last month after two members of the four-strong cemetery team were signed off work on long-term sick leave.
But now residents are having to wait weeks for burials – and council bosses have admitted there is no prospect of the situation improving in the near future.
David Wraith, environmental health manager at Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council, said the delays were being compounded by the approaching Easter weekend, which will see two further days lost as staff attempt to clear the backlog.
But he was unable to comment on how many families were being forced to wait for burials, and insisted the move had been taken in the interest of staff well-being and to avoid distressing mistakes being made.
Borough councillor Judith Williams has labelled the situation ‘horrific’ after her family had to wait for more than three weeks to bury a relative, while town funeral director Aubrey Kirkham said it was a very ‘difficult’ situation.
The borough council manages Shrewsbury Cemetery between Longden Road and Roman Road as well as cemeteries in Great Ness, Westbury, Minsterley, Church Pulverbatch and Alberbury.
Mr Wraith said: “We have four members of staff who cover bereavement services but two of them are off work on long-term sick leave.
“The remaining two have to cover all six cemeteries, and while it’s not our intention to cause additional distress for families, we have to look after our own staff.
“To do that we have restricted the number of burials our staff supervise. The best we can offer is one burial per day in the borough, and we can’t see that changing for the foreseeable future.”
Aubrey Kirkham, of Frankwell-based Aubrey Kirkham Funeral Directors, said: “We understand the situation but it is difficult to work with.”
Councillor Williams said: “My uncle died on February 5 and he wasn’t buried until February 29. I think three weeks to bury your dead relatives is horrific.”