New Forest Crematorium in Hampshire now offers evening funeral services.

The expansion of service hours, offering bookings at 6pm, 7pm and 8pm, Monday to Friday, caters to the needs of local bereaved families seeking flexibility in paying their respects.

Each session lasts up to 45 minutes in the chapel.

The progressive move echoes the success of dusk service offerings at Test Valley Crematorium.

Both crematoria form part of Westerleigh Group, a revered owner and operator of 40 crematoria and cemeteries across England, Scotland and Wales.

The organisation is dedicated to providing exceptional care to the bereaved, meeting the stringent standards regulated by the Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities in England, Wales and the Scottish Government.

New Forest crematorium manager Graeme Horobin said: "Like our sister site, Test Valley Crematorium, we are always looking for ways to offer local families more choice when it comes to arranging funerals.

"Spring, Summer and early Autumn months should bring with them some beautiful twilight evenings, with the soothing backdrop of birdsong over our beautiful grounds. We believe this could provide a comforting environment for a funeral.

"In addition, offering later services may help those with friends and relatives who want to pay their respects but have difficulty attending a daytime service because of other commitments.

"We pride ourselves on providing exceptional care, and part of that involves enabling families to create a uniquely personal funeral service as a final farewell to their loved one, and the opportunity to be able to choose a twilight service is just another way in which we provide more choice for those we support.

"Bereaved families can now request this service when making arrangements with their funeral director."

Based in New Milton, the crematorium, which opened its doors in April 2022, serves the New Forest and communinities of New Milton, Bournemouth and Christchurch.

Visit their website for more information.