MOVES are under way to buy back burial spaces at Kidderminster Cemetery from owners who have decided to spend eternity elsewhere.

Wyre Forest District Council looks set to give refunds to more than 20 plot holders in an attempt to prolong the life of the cemetery.

Andrew Dickens, head of cultural, leisure and commercial services, said: "We have spoken to several people who have moved away from the district and have then come across their agreement for a plot space. They have called us and asked what can be done.

"A lot of these will be going back some years and so what they get back is likely to be a lot less compared to what a space costs today."

The council's executive meets on Monday (April 14) and is being recommended to give Mr Dickens and the head of legal and democratic services the power to buy back the plots.

A search for a new burial site is currently under way as it is estimated the town cemetery will be full by 2009.