The "Daily Mail" says there will be no space to bury the dead in many parts of the country within the next decade.Nearly a quarter of councils will no longer have room for burials in ten years or less, the research suggests. The problem is particularly prevalent in the capital, where six London boroughs have already stopped permitting new burials, according to a report in The Times.

Promession, or cryomation - Involves using liquid nitrogen to chill the body to -196c, leaving it so brittle that it can be ‘fragmented’ on a vibrating mat. A magnet then removes metal objects such as fillings and artificial limbs, leaving a sterile powder - giving a whole new meaning to ‘dust to dust’.

Resomation - Sees bodies placed in silk bags and submerged in an alkaline solution that has been heated to 160c. Flesh, organs and bones all dissolve under the onslaught, leaving behind a combination of green-brown fluid and white powder.

Ashes turned into diamonds - This technique utilises the fact that both human beings and diamonds are carbon-based. A body is cremated and the resulting ash is then purified at 3,000C before being further heated and pressurised into a diamond over a 16-week period.

< Prev		Next >