BURIAL fees are to be increased at Bourton cemetery as the committee discovered they were losing money.

Councillor Sandra Morgan said income from burials was going down each year.

"We don't want to make a profit but we are wanting to break even. We have been estimating figures based on an estimated income. They are reducing considerably. each year," she said.

In 2012/13 income was £7,573 whereas a forecast for 2015/16 has been estimated at 5,290.

"We are approximately 33 per cent adrift at the moment so I propose we increase fees by 10 per cent next year and for the following two years across the board. The fees have not risen for many years and by putting them up by this amount we should be able to break even." The proposal was accepted unanimously.

The parish council committee also okayed a request for a triple-deck grave in the churchyard. The request had come from a local funeral director on behalf of a family.

The committee said that as long as it was technically possible and it could be dug deep enough then they were happy to grant the request.