St Helens Crematorium Chapel has expanded the number of people allowed to attend funerals to up to 20 people.

Up to 20 immediate family members or members of a person’s household can attend a funeral service in the chapel at the crematorium.

Up to 30 people can also attend a graveside ceremony.

This is alongside measures like a streaming service which allows people to watch services online from their homes so that more people can access services.

Families can also book extended chapel services again.

The restrictions on funeral numbers came into force as part of national guidance issued by the Government during the pandemic.

Mourners are also encouraged to make sure they use hand sanitisers as they enter the building and think about wearing a face covering.

Other measures include cleaning between each service and no singing allowed during services.

All funeral applicants will be asked to nominate a lead member of the group who will act as the link to the NHS Test and Trace team to give contact details of all those attending the service.

Councillor Andy Bowden, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, said: “Families and friends dealing with the loss of a loved one in the past few months have faced an incredibly difficult time as restrictions have limited the way people can share their experience of loss with others. Although there are still limits in place we hope that this increase in numbers attending funerals will help people dealing with the loss of a loved one.

“Our Bereavement Team have worked hard to make funeral services as safe and available to as many people as possible and they will continue to assess how we can support those dealing with loss in a sensitive and caring way while adhering to safety measures to keep people protected while we are still dealing with a pandemic.”