SOUTHAMPTON’S crematorium could soon be managed by a private firm or even sold off as the city council faces a massive upgrade bill.

Funeral care directors and opposition councillors last night warned the scheme could lead to private companies profiteering from grieving Hampshire families.

The idea was hatched by the Conservative administration after the council’s environment bosses were told they must reduce how much mercury pollution the 35-year-old crematorium emits. Mercury comes from dental fillings and cremation is responsible for 60 per cent of the toxic mercury pollution across the UK. The Govern-ment aims to have 50 per cent of all crematoria subject to mercury abatement by 2012.

Crematoria across the country have been told by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to say by the end of this month whether they are going to introduce special filtration equipment or contribute to the cost of offsetting pollution.

The city’s crematorium, located in Bassett near junction four of the M27, has six existing cremators that would cost hundreds of thousands of pounds in taxpayer’s money to upgrade.

A feasibility has been launched to explore various options that include keeping the service publicly-owned, going into partnership with a private firm or even selling the entire operation.

Southampton City Council leader Councillor Alec Samuels said: “We’ve had it for a while and it does need improvement. It also needs substantial investment as a matter of law to deal with mercury abatement.

“As with all things, we have an open mind and are looking at the possibilities of keeping the thing in-house, or going for some sort of outside management or disposal.”

However, Liberal Democrat leader Councillor Jill Baston said the council must not be seen to be profiteering from grieving families.

“It’s a service that has to be run with great sensitivity and I wonder how the public would regard a private company who they might see as simply wishing to make money,” she said.

“There are areas where ashes can be scattered and that makes the site very, very sensitive.”

John Coates, Co-operative Funeralcare’s Southampton regional manager, said: “My fear will be if it is taken over by a company which is profit driven, the cost of cremation will go up over the rate of inflation.”