Families in Wirral will be asked to invite no more than 30 mourners to funerals at the borough’s cemeteries and crematoriums.

Wirral Council are bringing in the measure to ensure mourners are sufficiently distanced from one another.

This is particularly important to protect groups at higher risk of infection, such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.

The move is also designed to target the council’s resources – which have been severely hit by coronavirus, at the most critical services for residents.

Wirral Council also announced that from March 23, Wirral’s park visitor centres at Birkenhead Park, Eastham Country Park and Wirral Country Park will temporarily close to the public, apart from access to toilets where this is possible.

The council wants to ensure essential park facilities maintenance, cleaning and safety inspections can continue.

The parks will remain open, but a number of events and services will be halted temporarily.

These include:

Park run events, as large numbers of people congregate at the start and finish of the runs.

Charity sponsored fun runs, as large numbers of people congregate at the start and finish of the runs/activities.

Football matches in parks (league matches and competition matches and use of changing rooms) for both children and adults, due to numbers of people involved.

Crown green bowling league and competition matches (and use of bowls pavilions), to minimise risk of transfer of Covid-19 to and between participants.

Park based cricket matches (and use of cricket pavilions).

Park volunteer task days (and associated use of indoor meeting rooms in parks), to minimise risk of transfer of Covid-19 to and between participants.

Forest school events and other Ranger led group events for children (and associated use of indoor meeting rooms in parks), to minimise risk of transfer of Covid-19 to and between participants (young children).

Other meetings in park visitor centres and pavilions including Birkenhead Park, Wirral Country Park, Eastham Country Park, Dibbinsdale, Central Park walled garden, park football changing rooms, park bowls pavilions and public golf course club houses.

Ranger led and other guided walks in parks, to minimise the risk of transference of Covid-19 between participants (including children and elderly people). This includes the large number of walking events currently scheduled to take place in May as part of the Wirral Walking Festival.

Wirral Council’s cabinet member for community services, Cllr Julie McManus, said: “The welfare of residents is at the heart of everything we are doing.

“This is a significant step and I know it will be difficult for some families.

“But it is crucial that we allow for adequate social distancing for mourners, many of whom could be in groups at higher risk of infection such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.

“Government guidance is clear on certain issues such as social distancing and the scientific and medical advice is underlying how we tailor council services, paying particular attention to factors such as reducing large gatherings.”

Yesterday, all council-run leisure centres and libraries, as well as the front office of Landican Cemetery, were closed temporarily in a bid to focus resources on the most critical services, such as adult social care.

On Wednesday, the council announced the temporary closure of the Floral Pavilion Theatre, Birkenhead Priory and the Williamson Art Gallery and Museum.