A STRICT limit of eight close family members has been imposed on the number of mourners allowed to attend funerals in Argyll and Bute during the coronavirus pandemic.

Argyll and Bute Council joins a number of local authorities who are imposing restrictions on who should attend a funeral during the Covid-19 crisis.

The Prime Minister announced on Monday that while weddings and baptisms would not be permitted under the ‘lockdown’ conditions, funerals would be permitted.

The council originally stated that while burials and cremations in the area would continue, “attendance should be limited to close family members only”, but that advice was updated on Wednesday to state that a maximum of eight people would be allowed to attend, all of whom must be close family.

READ MORE: Catch up on the latest coronavirus headlines from Helensburgh and beyond in our live blog here

Neighbouring West Dunbartonshire Council has announced that only five people will be allowed to attend a funeral during the pandemic.

Funeral directors and ministers in the area have been told to advise grieving families that they will have to choose who is allowed to attend.

Argyll and Bute Council has also suspended new wedding bookings until at least June, while birth registrations have been postponed until normal service is resumed.

READ MORE: Click here for all the latest news headlines from across Helensburgh and Lomond