FUNERAL costs in Warrington are among the most expensive in the north west.

Research by life insurers Royal London has revealed that the town is the fourth priciest area in the region for funerals, costing an average of £3,828.

In the north west, only Burnley, Northwich and Manchester South are more expensive.

Burials in Warrington cost an average of £4,418, while a cremation is typically priced at £3,238.

St Helens had the lowest funeral costs in the north west with an average price of £3,444, closely followed by Accrington, Bolton and Stockport.

With an average cost of £3,671, the north west itself is the fifth priciest region – behind London, the West Midlands, the East of England and Yorkshire and the Humber.

Research also found that one in 10 people struggled to cover the cost of a funeral, while a quarter of these went into debt from credit cards, loans or overdrafts as a result.

One in five had to borrow money from family or friends, while one in 10 had to choose a cheaper funeral than they would have liked.

Royal London’s funeral cost expert Louise Eaton-Terry said: “As bereaved families continue to take on thousands of pounds of debt to pay for their loved ones’ funerals, support from the state remains woefully inadequate.

“The government have tinkered around the edges and made some improvements to the funeral expenses payment benefit, but the fact remains that the fund does not cover the full cost of a simple funeral.

“The value of the fund is seriously lacking, with no serious action being taken to increase it and help support the bereaved who are being crippled with funeral debt.”