IT is a job that conjures up images of ancient Egypt, requires an intricate knowledge of the human body and makes some people's skin crawl.

But for Matthew Haines looking after the dead has been a dream job ever since he was at school and the Southampton funeral director has just picked up a top award as a professional embalmer.

"From when I was about six-years-old I always wondered who looked after people when they died and I thought that it was something I would like to do," said Matthew.

"Some people do find it a strange job. Sometimes when I meet people and tell them what I do they either run away or just ask a lot of ridiculous questions - like do we remove parts of the body before cremation.

"It gets a lot of reaction but most people have no clue about what is involved," he said.

The 27-year-old who lives with his girlfriend in Sholing, has been awarded the Trustees' Award from the British Institute of Embalmers after achieving some of the highest results in the country on his three year embalming course at Salisbury School of Funeral Directing.

"It is an incredibly difficult course as you have to know how the body works as well as the embalming process," said Matthew. He described the embalming process, which removes the body's natural fluids and replaces them with a chemical liquid to preserve the remains, as a complex procedure, which can be different for every person.

"I'm over the moon to get the award. It is something I have working towards for a long time."

Matthew, who works at Jonathan Terry Funeral Directors in Bitterne said the embalming process which dates back thousands of years has always fascinated him.

"Some people may find it a bit of a weird job, but they wouldn't think that if we have to look after their relatives and loved ones when they pass away. We look at it that it's about taking care of the living by taking care of the dead," he added.