Bereaved parents will no longer have to pay burial and cremation fees in Greenwich.

The council has waived the fees for children up to and including 17 years old.

The burial fee for six to 16-year-olds was previously £206 and the cremation fee was £35 for six to 17-year-olds.

The decision was made by the Eltham joint committee, composed of representatives from Bexley, Dartford and Greenwich councils.

Cremation fees will not have to be paid in all three boroughs while the additional step of waiving burial fees was made by Greenwich Council.

Councillor Jackie Smith, cabinet member for community safety and environment, said: “The waiving of these fees will remove a financial burden from families already facing an emotional burden and the heartache of losing a child.

“I welcome the cooperative approach taken by the Eltham Joint Crematorium in ensuring that the waiving of cremation fees will also apply to residents in the boroughs of Bexley and Dartford too.”