MERSEYSIDE and Cheshire councils are to start selling hip replacements and other metal body parts from people who are cremated, the Daily Post can reveal.

Plans have been approved to melt down and recycle hundreds of artificial hips, knees, plates, and pins after they are separated from remains at Walton Lea crematorium in Warrington.

Last night, Liverpool City Council confirmed it is also considering introducing the controversial "green" scheme at its two crematoria, Springwood in Allerton and Anfield.

National records show St Helens council has also expressed an interest, but yesterday a spokeswoman for the council denied all knowledge of the scheme.

Currently, artificial joints and implants - which can not be burned in the normal cremation process - are buried in communal unmarked graves at most crematoria.

Last night, David Barrington, secretary of the Merseyside branch of the National Association of Funeral Directors urged sensitivity by staff.

He said: "Some people might find it hard to cope with the idea that something that was inside their loved one would not be buried with their ashes.

"It is a very emotional time for families and this will need to be dealt with sensitively."

However, he added: "Most people will understand the environ-mental reasons behind this if it is explained to them in a sensitive manner. The only real area for concern where people could be offended would be if the crematoria were making a profit from sales of the parts."

Angela Dunn, bereavement services manager at Warrington, said relatives would be asked for their consent and given the choice to take implants home.

She told the Daily Post: "No one will be forced into anything."

She added that, unless the new system was introduced, crematoria would eventually risk running out of space to bury implants.

Around 2,000 bodies are cremated each year at the Warrington site, including around 10% of which have some sort of metal implant.

The crematorium is one of 41 out of 250 in the UK that have so far signed up to the recycling scheme.

It was launched by the national Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM) following advice from the Environment Agency, which indicated the current methods of disposal are illegal.

The issue has split legal opinion, with some saying the only way to resolve it is through the courts.

The ICCM says, once metal parts have been separated from remains, they are waste and must be disposed of according to law.

However, the Federation of British Cremation Authorities (FBCA) believes the parts could belong to the NHS and local authorities could face legal challenges if they start recycling.

The organisation is advising local authorities to take legal advice before implementing the scheme.

Similar schemes are already used in Europe, including Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, Denmark, Belgium, Germany and Holland.

The ICCM has negotiated a contract with Dutch company Ortho Metals, which recycles all metal body parts for the Royal Dutch Crematorium Federation.

All profits will be collected by the ICCM and distributed to bereavement charities.

Last night, ICCM chief executive Tim Morris said: "There is nothing macabre about this.

"At the moment, the bereaved are given no choice and the parts are buried without consent.

"Clearly it is preferable to offer a choice, even if they don't agree with the parts being recycled."

But FBCA secretary Duncan McCallum said: "It is not clear whether it is legal or not.

"The question of ownership seems to be a problem. If hip joints or orthopaedic implants are placed in there, who owns them?

"Is it the NHS or the person who has them?

"The only way it is going to be resolved is if it goes to court."

He added: "The method of disposing of metal by burying it is seen by the public as a respectful and trusted way of dealing with it.

"It has been done as far back as cremation started."

Under the new system, crematoria staff will separate artificial joints from each set of ashes and store them in a special bin ready for a yearly collection.

Ms Dunn said: "Relatives will be asked to sign a consent form, and they will be able to request that the parts are returned to them if they don't want them recycled.

"It is a sensitive issue, but in all my years here I have never had a family request metal parts back. I don't foresee any major problems.

"All our staff will be trained in how to explain what is going to happen to the bereaved, and we are also consulting with local funeral directors."

Ms Dunn added: "Cleary the current method of disposal is unsustainable, because the parts aren't biodegradable.

"Eventually there won't be enough room to store them here.

"We have to have some sort of solution. This way any profit will be re-directed to bereavement charities."

A spokeswoman for Liverpool City Council said: "We are considering the scheme, but we will have to take families' views into consideration first."

The cremation damages the surface of the metal parts, so immediate re-use by the NHS is not an option.

However, most orthopaedic implants are made of cobalt steel, which is in short supply.

Therefore, most of the metal would eventually be re-made into new orthopaedic parts.

deborahjames@dailypost.co.uk