Coronavirus victims face being buried in ultra-basic chipboard caskets as coffin manufactures struggle to meet demand for Covid-19 funerals, according to reports.
The shortage means bodies are being stockpiled in temporary morgues as funeral directors face four-week waits for new coffins.
Some families are forced to bury their loved ones in £60 "pauper’s coffins" – basic MDF boxes with no varnish and cheap handles on the side.
One manufacturer has gone from producing five basic coffins a week to 350 a day. Stewart Jukes, managing director of coffin maker Jukes Group, told MailOnline: “We are working through the night to make ‘back to crem’ models and are producing more of these than ever before to keep up with the huge demand for funerals.