BRACKNELL Forest Council (BFC) has denied that families relying on publicly-funded funerals are not allowed to attend them.

In a report by The Sunday Times newspaper, a council official was recorded by an undercover reporter allegedly saying: "There’s no attendees, no keeping of the ashes. Nobody’s invited, you don’t have any say at all.”

But the council has vehemently denied that this is council policy, and has said it will investigate the claims made by the newspaper.

With the average funeral costing in excess of £4,000, councils across the UK offer public health funerals, sometimes referred to as a 'pauper's funeral', for those who cannot afford to pay.

It is estimated that around 4,000 public health funerals take place every year, which cost local authorities around £4 million.

BFC's policy is that if no-one is prepared to arrange a funeral, the council will take responsibility for registering the death, instructing a funeral director, providing a coffin and transporting the deceased to the crematorium.

All public health funerals take place as a cremation, unless evidence can be provided that the deceased wished to be buried. Details on the council's website stipulate that in either case, 'time will be allocated within the crematorium chapel for family and friends to pay their respects.'

The Sunday Times claimed that BFC was barring families from attending such funerals as a way of keeping costs down.

But BFC's environment & public protection officer, Steve Loudoun said the council had 'no desire to deny anyone' the chance to bid their loved one farewell.

He said: "Bracknell Forest Council has a fair and appropriate policy regarding public health funerals. We have provided for the needs of the bereaved for many years and are very sensitive to the issues that arise at such times. If there is evidence to suggest otherwise, we will investigate as a matter of urgency. If our policy needs to be corrected to make it clearer or to address any valid shortcoming we will do so. We have no desire to deny anyone, with a reasonable right, the opportunity to say farewell to a loved one. Each case has to be fully considered alongside the facts, however Bracknell Forest Council does not fund a formal funeral service as standard."