Work on upgrading Pembrokeshire’s crematorium has been completed and includes a cremator capable of taking wider coffins as obesity levels rise.

Parc Gwyn’s two cremators have been replaced and a new Mercury Abatement plant installed to reduce pollution.

It is hoped the improvement work, which includes refurbishing the buildings, will result in a more efficient service, with less pollution.

The crematorium near Narberth is now working at its full capacity of 54 funerals a week.

Cremations at Parc Gwyn were restricted earlier this year when work started on replacing its two cremators which, after 20 years, had come to the end of their serviceable life.

The old machines have been replaced with two high specification cremators along with a Mercury Abatement plant which will result in a 100% abatement of mercury – far exceeding the government’s 50% target for reduction of mercury pollution.

And with increasing rates of obesity, one of the cremators has been built to accommodate wider coffin widths.

It is estimated that the two new cremators will remain in service for a further 20 years catering for an estimated 28,000 cremations over their lifetime.

“We apologise for delays earlier this year that were caused as a result of the improvement work,” said Councillor Huw George, Cabinet Member for Environmental and Regulatory Services.

“They were absolutely necessary to ensure that the crematorium remains operational and efficient.

“Already Parc Gwyn is emitting 47kg less carbon dioxide (CO2) for each cremation carried out and we predict that we will save around 66 tons of CO2 over the coming year – that’s enough to fill 66 hot air balloons.”

Set in rolling parkland, Parc Gwyn crematorium first opened in 1968 and over the years has seen over 50,000 cremations.