ONE thing that many people do not realise is that it is not a legal requirement to have a funeral.

It may also surprise people to learn that a lot of assumptions surrounding the disposal of bodies are a myth. These include:-

-You have to have a coffin

-Bodies have to be transported in hearses

-Bodies have to be embalmed

-You have to employ a funeral director

-You can only bury a body in a cemetery

-You can’t keep a body at home

-Bodies must be buried at 6ft

With this in mind, an increasing number of people are taking matters into their own hands and saving a lot of money by organising DIY funerals.

The Money Advice Service explains that you must register the death at a registry office within five days and you need to take the medical certificate, which is signed by a doctor, when you register the death.

You will then receive a Certificate for Burial or Cremation and a Certificate of Registration of Death.

With coffins costing hundreds of pounds, some people make their own. A simple shroud could be used.

For cremations, you can opt for a direct cremation, which is where a body is cremated at a convenient time without any ceremony or mourners attending. Typically, this costs around £1,600.

When it comes to burials, people can be buried in private gardens and other land provided certain conditions are met. The permission of the owner of the freehold of the land where the burial is to take place is required. The body must have at least one metre of soil above and below and the site should be at least 250 metres away from boreholes or water supplies.

The grave should be 30 metres from any standing or running water and free of standing water when dug. It must also be ten metres from any dry ditch or field drain.

Planning permission is only needed if the grave is to be marked with a monument.