A COUNCIL needs to spend £2m to replace the cremator at Birtley Crematorium, or risk being unable to deal with the number of bodies in the event of a pandemic. Gateshead councillors will be asked ...

But the mistake was not uncovered until after the cremation at Birtley Crematorium in Gateshead, when another family were forced to hold a funeral with an empty coffin because their relative had ...

A £2m plan to upgrade an outdated crematorium has been rubber-stamped. Gateshead Council’s cabinet agreed on Tuesday to replace its 29-year-old cremator in Birtley. In December 2017 an urgent ...

The Chronicle understands it happened last month when the wrong body was placed in a coffin and taken to Birtley Crematorium, Gateshead, where the funeral then took place. It was only when staff ...

It has emerged that staff working for Co-Op Funeral care at Birtley in Gateshead mixed up bodies, and took the wrong one to a cremation service. The mistake wasn't picked up until it was too late ...

The breach of procedure by Co-operative Funeralcare staff meant friends and family ended up saying their final goodbyes to a complete stranger during the funeral at Birtley Crematorium.

Will be sadly missed by all friends and staff at Heather House. Funeral Service at Birtley Crematorium on Monday 4th November at 12noon. Would friends please meet at crematorium. Family flowers only.

Co-operative Funeralcare have issued the following statement after it came to light that the wrong body had been cremated at a service at Birtley crematorium last month. Two people have been sacked.