Loved ones 'keep ashes for months'

People are hoarding the ashes of their loved ones because they are confused about where they can legally scatter cremated remains, a survey has found.

The ashes of three-quarters of people cremated are kept for up to a year, with one in three relatives hoping to scatter them at a beauty spot. John Williamson, of Co-operative Funeralcare which commissioned the survey, said many people displayed the ashes at home because of uncertainty over what was allowed. "We are seeing a growing trend among people to keep ashes at home in display cabinets and there is a rise in people wanting memorials such as birdbaths," he said.

Lake Windermere is among the places where ashes can be scattered but some people misunderstand and toss the entire urn into the water still sealed.