UNDERTAKERS were today holding an open day - for people who want their funerals sorted years before they die.

Simplicity Funerals, in Southampton, is inviting anyone interested in ensuring their last dying wishes are met to attend the event.

Whether it's a cremation or a burial, the company says organising and paying for it while the deceased is still alive takes the burden away from grief-stricken loved ones.

Community manager Kevin Dixey said: "More and more people are pre-arranging their funerals these days.

"Anyone can come to us and buy their funeral at today's prices and, even should they survive for another 20 or 30 years or longer, it is a sound investment because everything has been arranged and paid for.

"Dealing with funerals can cause a lot of upset and struggle for families and so this can take the pressure away from them."

He said they offered a range of services, from a basic £880 funeral to horse-drawn hearses leading a cavalcade of limousines, which could be bought at any point in a person's life.

Mr Dixey continued: "Unlike an insurance policy, if someone decided five years down the line that they wanted to change their mind then they can get a full refund. But that would mean having to pay for it all again when the charges may have risen."

He said money was held in an independent trust fund, managed by independent trustees, and that clients could be assured their investment was safe and their funeral arrangements secure.

The open day is being held at the company's premises at 13-15 Warren Avenue, Shirley Warren, until 4pm. More details are available from Mr Dixey on 8077 6625.