Council launch funereal die-ry of the deceased

The new online listing service enables friends, relatives, or just the plain curious, to see when and where each cremation or burial is being held.

As well as the name of the deceased, it lists the date of their demise and which funeral director is carrying out proceedings.

And bereaved families can even request a “clickable link” to write their own details about the funeral.

Promoting the new service, a Bedford Borough Council spokesman asked the public: “Do you struggle to find information about details of a funeral service following a death?

“Have you ever missed a funeral because nobody told you that a friend had died?

“Bedford Borough Council has introduced a new service which shows details of every funeral taking place at Bedford Crematorium, Norse Road Cemetery and Foster Hill Road Cemetery.”

He added families can also request a clickable link which brings up a detailed obituary, where they can publish information about the deceased, such as the date and place of death, age, the names of close relatives and if there are any arrangements for flowers.

Councillor Colleen Atkins, Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Regulatory Services, said: “The council’s bereavement service provides an important service for local people at what can be an extremely difficult and distressing time.

“We are always looking at how we can improve services and make things a little easier for those people who wish to remember a relative or friend.”

She added: “The introduction of the online funeral service diary shows our commitment to delivering better services for bereaved families in the Borough”

However, bereaved folk looking for the details will have to persevere as the webpage is buried under several menus.

To find it go to www.bedford.gov.uk and click on the “community and living”, section.