Fire-hit crematorium's reopening delayed

A crematorium damaged in a fire will remain shut for longer than first claimed as repair work continues.

Thorncliffe Crematorium in Barrow, Cumbria, closed at the end of June for the roof and chimneys to be replaced following the blaze.

Westmorland and Furness Council, which operates the facility, initially said the work would take six to eight weeks to complete.

In a new update, the authority said an opening date was yet to be confirmed but it was anticipated to be around late September before services could resume.

A spokesperson at the LibDem-led authority claimed work to the roof was "advancing well" and internal redecoration had been completed across several areas of the building.

In a statement, the council said: "The repair project involves a complex programme of work due to the scale of the damage and the specialist nature of the equipment being installed."

No specific details about the complexity or specialist equipment were given, but the spokesperson said the authority hoped to "resume services and cremations as soon as possible and this is anticipated to be late September".

The accidental blaze broke out in March, with ceremonies moved for about three weeks during emergency repair work.

Chapel-based services were carried out at the venue until the roof repair works started in June, but cremations have not been happening there since the fire.

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