NORTH-EAST families are being hit by soaring cremation and burial costs, new figures show.

Findings from independent funeral comparison service Funeralbooker show the region had seen a 3.7 per cent average rise in cremation fees and a 5.1 per cent rise for burials in the last year.

As a result, families will find themselves forced to shell out £727 on average for a cremation, while the average burial fee in the North East will now cost £1,612, according to the research.

Darlington was found to have the most expensive cremation fee in the North-East at £801, whilst Durham and Stanley had the cheapest at £650.

However, Chester-le-Street and Sacriston in County Durham were found to be the most expensive places to be buried, with a fee of £1,940, according to the research.

The research found some of the region’s cheapest burial fees were in Blyth, Morpeth and Hexham, which were more than £500 cheaper than the most expensive areas.

The average cost of a cremation in Yorkshire is now £762, but the average cost of a burial in the county is £1,960 This compares to the UK as a whole, where the average cremation fee now comes in at £753, while burial costs significantly more at £1,792.

The price increases in the North-East are below those seen across the UK as a whole and leave the region as the 9th most expensive in which to be cremated and the 6th most expensive in which to be buried.

James Dunn, co-founder of Funeralbooker, said: “These price hikes are the ultimate stealth tax, going completely unnoticed by families until their moment of need.

“But with such significant price differences now appearing across the region, many will be questioning whether these fees genuinely reflect the service they are getting or are simply down to opportunistic greed.

A spokesperson for Durham County Council said the figures do not take into account the fact the council includes the cost of erecting a headstone within their burial fees.

They added this would bring the burial fees “broadly in line” with those of the other local authorities in the North East.

Oliver Sherratt, head of direct services at the council, said: “We work hard to limit costs for both burials and cremations, while endeavouring to provide settings which are both attractive and respectful.”

A spokeswoman for Darlington Borough Council added: “We compare our charges locally and nationally and believe our service offers value for money.

“Our charges reflect the fact we are planning to invest in facilities for the future which will result in a better service for residents and address environmental issues.”

Mr Dunn added: “Disbursements, or cremation and burial fees, are almost entirely unavoidable, but families can protect themselves by planning ahead.

“If meeting the cost of a funeral would be a struggle then it might be worth taking out a pre-paid funeral plan,” he added.