A garden of remembrance could be created in Wantage where people would be able to bury their loved ones' ashes.

Town councillors have voted in favour of the move as burial land in the town becomes increasingly scarce.

Wantage town clerk Bill Falkenau said: "Finding burial land is a national problem, not just an issue in Wantage.

"We're facing the prospect of having to find burial land for 15 to 20 years.

"Currently we're using up space for ashes plots that could be used for normal burials."

The proposed garden of remembrance would be created at Chain Hill cemetery, where ashes would be driven into the ground, rather than buried in specific plots.

The Wantage Parish Church of SS Peter and Paul and Holy Trinity Church, in Charlton Village Road, already have dedicated areas for cremated remains.

Parish priest the Rev John Salter said a grid system enabled the church to identify where remains had been buried, so families could be laid to rest in the same spot.

Father Salter said: "The fact that graves are unmarked is not necessarily a problem for relatives, provided people have a focus for their need to grieve."

The council could also free up burial land by reducing the number of a years a grave is protected before being re-used.

Father Salter said: "We have been burying in the churchyard for nearly 1,000 years in Wantage, but lack of burial space has only been a problem in the past 400 years, when people started putting up stone monuments."

Burial in the churchyard is limited to members of the electoral church register, not, as many believe, to any Wantage residents.

Cllr Jean Kent, chairman of the Joint Environmental Trust (JET) for Wantage, said members voted last week to set aside funds for a consultant to come up with plans for the garden.

JET is a joint Vale of White Horse District Council and Wantage Town Council forum to promote environmental improvements.