A Muslim family’s distress at their daughter’s delayed funeral has sparked calls for extra burial times at a Watford cemetery.

Members of the town’s Islamic community have said they are willing to volunteer so their dead can be buried on Sundays and bank holidays.

Watford Borough Council which runs the North Watford Cemetery has said it is willing to discuss the matter with community leaders.

Mohammad Khan, chairman of the Watford Muslim Burial Committee, said it was part of Islamic tradition that the deceased were buried as soon as possible.

However there was a delay in Watford if members of the community died on a Saturday or before a bank holiday.

“We want to bury the body as quickly as possible,” he said.

“We can pay extra to employ someone for when we need it, otherwise we will fill in the graves ourselves.”

Currently North Watford Cemetery is open for burial every day except for Sundays and bank holidays.

The latest moves for extra burial cover come after a young Muslim Watford woman died on a Saturday last month and her family had to wait until Monday to bury her.

Asif Khan, a councillor on Watford Borough Council who is backing the calls for added burial times, said the situation had caused unnecessary distress to the family.

He said: “It causes distress, not just for the family but for the community as well as we feel helpless.

“But it would be good for the whole community, not just the Muslim.”

Councillor Khan, a representative of the Leggatts ward, added he was meeting with council officers next week and was confident an arrangement could be reached with the community.

The Watford Muslim Burial Committee said it was willing to organise volunteers and a rota system to fill in for Sunday and bank holiday burials.

It said it was also willing to have volunteers trained up on health and safety if needed.

Deputy Mayor Derek Scudder said he was aware of the situation and the council was due to discuss it with the Muslim community.