A NEW ‘no-frills’ style of funeral has been made available for people in Wrexham.

Direct cremations, where there is no funeral service and mourners aren’t present, have become increasingly popular in the UK as an affordable style of send-off.

Among those reported to have opted for the simpler process are music legend David Bowie, who was privately cremated following his death in 2016.

Wrexham Council has now announced the introduction of direct cremations at Pentrebychan Crematorium, near Rhostyllen.

In a report, a leading politician said the option had been made available in response to public demand.

Cllr David A Bithell, the local authority’s lead member for environment and transport, said: “The cost of funerals can be a difficult expense for some families to meet.

“In recent years there have also been changes in the way people commemorate the deceased as not every family or relatives of the deceased wants a service with a chapel or church committal.

“In response to requests from funeral directors and members of the public to offer alternatives to traditional funeral services with their attendant costs, a direct cremation service has just started at Pentrebychan Crematorium.

“Direct committal cremation is an option for those who do not wish to have a funeral service.

“The deceased is brought to the crematorium by the funeral director at an appointed time and committal takes place without a service or family attendance.”

According to the Money Advice Service, the average cost of a funeral in the UK currently stands at £3,757.

The rising price of services has led to a growing number of families facing what is known as “funeral poverty”.

While the council has not published the exact cost of the new service, Cllr Bithell said it was lower than the standard cremation fee, which is listed as £713 on its website.

Cllr Bithell added: “As with any cremation, the deceased is treated with the utmost care and respect, and would be received in the normal manner through the front doors of the chapel or through the chapel of rest if the funeral director or family request this.

“They would then be placed on the catafalque and the cremation would be undertaken in due course.”

Pentrebychan Crematorium has introduced three time slots for direct cremations at 8.45am on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.

The pilot scheme will be reviewed after an initial period of three months to determine the demand.

To date three direct cremations have taken place and the authority said further bookings are being received.