Cemetery chiefs in Colchester claim the service has been "turned around" since proposals to sell it off were ditched.

The future of Colchester Cemetery and Crematorium in Mersea Road was cast into doubt earlier this year after a range of proposals were put forward

But in the past eight months, since Colchester Council decided to keep the service in-house, there has been a burst of activity to secure the cemetery's long-term future.

Jan Britton, parks and recreation manager at the council, said: "There's now better information for users of the service, new toilets and waiting room being built."

He added: "There are some health and safety improvements on the technical side, a new wall of remembrance dedicated to the Queen Mother and a new maintenance contract due out for tender next month.

"This has been matched by the enthusiasm of the staff at the cemetery and crematorium, which has been fantastic. The whole service has turned around and the future looks very bright indeed."

Published Thursday November 14, 2002

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