MY UNCLE passed away last week and it was with some surprise that I learnt that he would not be able to be cremated at Weston as

MY UNCLE passed away last week and it was with some surprise that I learnt that he would not be able to be cremated at Weston as he had wished but would have to be taken to a crematorium in Bristol. On making further enquiries with our undertaker I was told that this is the third time in 18 months that the town's crematorium has 'broken down' and bodies are being shipped to Bristol for disposal. I was told that this situation is likely to last for the foreseeable future as it seems that it is too expensive to repair the existing cremation facility at Weston. What is difficult to comprehend is how the council has not had the financial foresight to maintain its equipment properly or to invest in new plant. This time it cannot argue that a lack of funds has led to this situation given the vast amounts of money that it must earn from running what is essentially a monopoly service. Let us face it there is hardly a huge range of options when it comes to choosing a crematorium in this area. This lack of financial planning has led to a distressing lack of respect and dignity when it comes to the disposal of our loved ones. I also find it ironic that the council is facing tough targets for the disposal and recycling of waste, yet when it comes to the more sensitive issue of cremating our dead no such controls or targets seem to apply or even matter.R B LESTER - Locking Road, Weston