Graves could be reused under proposals to tackle lack of space for the dead

The Law Commission has warned that urban areas are fast running out of burial space, with many cemeteries already full. Photograph: Nick Maslen/Alamy

Graves could be reused and closed burial grounds reopened under proposals aimed at tackling a lack of space for the dead.

The Law Commission has suggested that cemeteries that have been declared full could be reused for new burials. The proposal is part of a public consultation by the commission on updating 170-year-old burial laws in England and Wales.