Graves in a Redbridge cemetery could soon be dug up to make room for more bodies, if a new plan gets the go-ahead.

Officials at the City of London public cemetery in Aldersbrook have applied to take part in a new Government pilot which will for the first time allow remains to be disturbed and re-burried in order to create more space.

Some relatives of those buried in the cemetery have labelled the plans as “appalling”, but staff insist such a move will help secure the long-term future of the site.

Since the 1970s, public cemeteries have been allowed to bury bodies on top of human remains for space reasons, but this is the first time actual remains could be moved.

Rita Brown, who regularly visits the grave of her husband Frank at the cemetery, said: “I think it’s quite out of order.

“I can understand that space is tight but there are other things they could do.

“And its dreadful that they are even turning around some tomb stones and carving new names on the other side. These people aren’t here to speak up for themselves.”

Jean Ralph, whose mother is buried at the site, agreed, and said she believed other options should be considered.

She added: “Perhaps there should be more regulation of these people who have these huge great coffins that take up a lot of space.”

But director of the cemetery, Ian Hussein, said if there were not regular burials then the site risked being lost forever.

“When burial sites become full and people stop visiting graves they become at risk of redevelopment.

"In this country about every two weeks the Government will issue a mass exhumation of human remains of such sites to allow redevelopment for things like flats.

“Much of London has been built on old burial grounds, and I’m sure there are many parts of Wanstead and Woodford which are.

“But we want to reassure people that this will only be done to graves that have not been used for 75 years, and we would make every effort to trace any relatives.

“And we want families to help us and adopt an old grave stone to help preserve our heritage, and we’ve been surprised by the number of people that are willing to do that.”

A free DVD showing preservation work at the cemetery is available by writing to: The City of London Cemetery and Crematorium, Aldersbrook Road, E12 5DQ.