People who die poor are still being buried in mass graves and a poverty charity fears things are only going to get worse as the recession continues.
In the last three years one baby and four penniless adults were buried in mass graves in Gravesham.
An adult pauper’s grave can see four people buried, one on top of the other, while three babies can be laid next to each other in a communal grave in the cemetery in Old Road West, Gravesend.
Those buried do not receive a headstone or memorial plaque but are given a numbered marker.
Foetuses are given a communal funeral service while stillborns and babies are given a private ceremony.
Tim Nichols, of the Child Poverty Action Group, said: “It is appalling that these Dickensian-style burials are happening in the modern age.
“It speaks volumes really about the extent to which we are still overlooking the value of each individual life.
“It is concerning that in a recession these burials could well increase as more people fall into poverty.”
Cemetery manager Jenny Neesam said: “Some parents find it a great comfort their baby or stillborn infant will be with other babies in the grave.
“We keep a record of where each person is buried and we treat their burial with as much respect as any other person.”
Each pauper’s funeral service costs about £700 which pays for the undertaker, hearse, coffin, and burial.
In the past three years, 19 such burials took place in Gravesham.
There were also two cremations for those who wanted to be buried with a family member who had previously been laid to rest in a common grave.
Cllr John Burden said: “It is very sad that some people die without friends or family available to pay for a burial.
“As a society we have to look after everyone – the weak, the poor and the elderly.”
North Kent funeral directors Tender Touch Funeral Service, in Sun Lane, Gravesend, has arranged between 15 and 20 pauper funerals in the past yer, although all took place outside the borough.
Office manager Sharon Lewis said: “If someone contacts us and explains they can’t afford an expensive burial, we do all we can to keep costs down.”
She added that by law, all funeral directors must provide a basic funeral offer, although the charges can differ.
If someone is destitute and dies in hospital the NHS is usually liable for the funeral costs.
Otherwise, the council has a duty to pay if the deceased is found to have no will or any assets to pay for the cost of burial.
The figures were released to the Messenger under the Freedom of Information Act.