Urgent repairs the steeple and roof of Accrington Crematorium have started.

The £135,590 project is need to stop water leaking into the chapel and damaging the stonework.

The crematorium in Burnley Road will be closed at weekends and two days a week until October 15 for the repairs to take place.

The repair programme has been authorised by Hyndburn Council's sustainability boss Cllr Kate Walsh, and includes waiving the authority's contract rules to award the work to Stone Central (NW) Ltd so the repairs can begin immediately to avoid further damage.

In a report to Tuesday's cabinet meeting, she says: "The crematorium chapel is suffering water ingress and requires urgent repairs to stonework, pointing and leadwork to the steeple and the adjoining roof.

"The steeple has been pointed in the past with incorrect materials, which will need to be mechanically removed before new pointing can be done.

"This work will be noisy and disruptive as such, officers have been considering how and when the crematorium can be closed to allow the work to take place.

"Due to high demand for services and loss of income that would result due to closure, it was originally proposed to do the work solely over weekends and as such contractors were informally asked if they were interested in bidding for the work.

"Not only would weekend working have far exceeded the budget and the work would have taken many months, but there was little to no interest from contractors.

"This project has recently been reviewed and as water ingress continues and damage is visible inside the chapel, works are now considered urgent.

"Stone Central (NW) Ltd, a specialist contractor, has assisted the council in developing a scope of works that will address the water ingress including a unique design for the scaffolding.

"Stone Central has provided a programme based on the revised scope of work, weekend and two-weekday proposals, scaffolding requirements and specialist resources which can be delivered within an acceptable budget.

"The proposed programme will mean the scaffolding can commence on July 29 and all work and scaffolding taken down by October 15.

"Stone Central (NW) Ltd have provided an up-to-date quotation of £135,590.

"It has been agreed to close the facility for two days per week from July 29 until October 15 to allow works to be completed whilst minimising the loss of service and income.

"Time is of the essence to deliver this urgent work to stem water ingress at a time when Stone Central has confirmed it can start work immediately."