COUNTY MORGUE FACILITIES 'INADEQUATE'

This was disclosed at a meeting of the county council's strategic environment services committee, following a comment by Cllr Mike Hall that the county's present morgues may not be adequate to cope with the number of corpses that could come in if there was a major disaster.

At the end of the debate, the committee called for more Government cash for protection against river and tidal flooding - and a severe crackdown on housebuilding in West Sussex flood risk areas.

Head of emergency management Damien Adams told county councillors that officers were looking at how body holding facilities could be rapidly enhanced.

Even if there was not a major incident, such as 50 bodies after a train accident, the facilities would still need enhancement if the incident was widespread.

Mr Adams said a seminar was being planned with funeral homes, crematoria and graveyard owners for February next year to consider this, and the county council was also constantly working with the hospitals in the development of mortuary facilities.

For full story see West Sussex Gazette October 24