COFFIN MARKET PANIC BUYING

A SHORTAGE of coffins has seen prices soar – leaving grieving families faced with large bills to bury their loved ones.

Undertakers across the UK have had to source coffins from abroad at inflated prices and the extra cost is then being passed on to the bereaved.

Undertakers are also facing other financial problems linked to the coronavirus crisis.

One funeral director said he has had to spend more than £10,000 on PPE for all his staff after they were warned coronavirus patients can transmit the disease for days following a death.

He said: “Most undertakers are trying to keep their prices as low as they can but coffin costs have gone up. A lot of funeral directors, particularly the larger chains, panic bought coffins at the start of the pandemic. It has led to a supply shortage.”

He added: “No one thinks of funeral directors being in the frontline but I’ve spent £10,000 making sure staff all have PPE equipment. Nobody is cashing in on the pandemic.”