Volunteers to mourn at funerals no-one attends

Volunteers will be contacted and arrangements made once it has been confirmed no-one is expected to attend a funeral

Volunteer mourners are to be invited to attend funerals for people with no next of kin.

Serving army officer Tristan Griffin, from Blaenavon, Torfaen, came up with the idea after his undertaker sister told him how funeral arrangements are made for those with no known family members.

"I'm used to seeing the British Legion pulling out all the stops for service people who have died," Mr Griffin said.

"I just got the idea [and thought], 'Wouldn't that be nice for everyone?'"

He suggested the idea to Torfaen councillor Nick Horler, and the proposal was unanimously backed by the full Torfaen council earlier this year.

Volunteers will be contacted and arrangements made once it has been confirmed no-one is expected to attend a funeral.

"If we're looking at the concept of looking after people from the 'cradle to the grave', we have the cradle pretty much covered but the graveside not so much," Mr Griffin told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.

"In a society that is increasingly individualistic and quite lonely it would be nice to just have a bunch of people, who just go to graveside, stand there and commemorate that person in their very last moments."

Last year Torfaen council organised three funerals where no next of kin were found.

Authorities are responsible for arranging funerals for people who die without known next of kin or means to cover funeral costs.

The council's public protection and environment chief, Daniel Morelli, said in a report officers aim for funerals to be held in a respectful manner but those that are unattended raised "concerns about dignity and social isolation at the end of life".

Under the scheme, when there are no known friends or family, the council will contact its lead volunteer to make them aware.

It will then confirm if no-one is expected to attend and they will be responsible for arranging mourners.

Council leader Anthony Hunt said the scheme was a "good example of how a resident's idea can be translated into policy".

While this scheme relates to volunteer mourners professional mourners have existed historically and still exist today.