A £300,000 scheme to alleviate flooding problems at a Teesside town's cemetery has been drawn up after complaints from grieving families.

The proposal to prevent future flooding of Stranton Cemetery, in Hartlepool, is likely to go ahead in the coming months.

A total of £112,000 will be spent on improving the existing drainage system and £200,000 will be spent on new drainage for the western part of the cemetery.

Bereaved relatives have raised the problem at a series of public meetings about flooding across the Hartlepool borough.

Councillor Peter Jackson, Hartlepool Borough Council's cabinet member for public health, has approved the plan. That means it will almost certainly go ahead, although it must be debated by the full council on November 4.

In a report, Ralph Harrison, the council's head of public protection and housing, said: "Flooding is a regular occurrence throughout the cemetery following heavy rainfall, when the existing system is unable to cope.

"The bereaved become very distressed seeing the graves completely waterlogged, some complaining that they have been physically unable to visit the graves because of flooding."

Coun Jackson said: "The flooding problems in the town have been made a high priority and a major investigation has taken place through the scrutiny process.

"The flooding at Stranton Cemetery was identified as an area which needed urgent attention.

"It must be made clear that not all of the town's flooding problems are the responsibility of the council and we continue to have regular liaison with Northumbrian Water to bring other problem areas to an end.

"Nevertheless, the Stranton Cemetery scheme is one project which we do have control over and I am very hopeful it will be ratified by the full council. Hopefully, this is just the start of a series of actions to address the problems that exist across the town."