A funeral director is giving bereaved relatives the chance to create personalised memorials online.

Brent Stevenson Memorials, of Blackburn and Blackpool, said it is the first time a live screen share has been offered by any memorial mason in the country.

“We have demonstrated it to several families who told us it was a great idea and loved the fact you can use it in the comfort of your own home.

"You can watch as the designs take shape on screen and liaise directly with our designers to make any changes,” said Mr Stevenson.

The new service is available via the company’s website.

Families download software and then log in to the screen share option with a special code.

Once they are happy with the draft design, the finished version is emailed to the family for final checking and approval.

Mr Stevenson said: “We think it’s also a big step forward for those families who live miles apart or even overseas, because it means no matter where you are in the world you can still be closely involved in the design and decision-making process for the memorial, which is very important.”

Before the new technology was introduced, the team would produce drawings based on a brief from the family, which would either be emailed, or posted.