Mourning Scots have been urged to avoid leaving personal items in coffins due to potentially serious safety risks.
The Crematorium and Memorial Group (CMG) operate crematoria in Glasgow, Dundee, Motherwell, Irvine, Moray and Eyemouth.
And bosses there have seen a number of unusual and potentially dangerous items left in coffins.
They include a takeaway meal, golf clubs and even a favourite video game.
However, these items could unintentionally pose a safety or environmental risk, and so CMG are asking all mourners to ask first before leaving tokens in coffins.
Things such as alcohol, mobile phones or battery-powered devices can all cause an explosion if cremated as they are combustible.
Hard objects such as golf or bowling balls can be propelled during the cremation process causing substantial damage to the equipment.
Plastics used to manufacture items such as fishing rods and sporting goods can emit poisonous fumes once set alight.
Personal mementoes such as wooden rosary beads, unframed photographs, religious texts or handwritten tributes on paper or card can all be left in the coffin.
CMG's Technical Services Manager Tony Davidson made the respectful plea to mourners.
He said: "We work with local funeral directors to help families have a respectful funeral for their loved one.
“We understand that mourners may wish to leave items in the coffin, but we respectfully ask that they talk to us or their funeral director about alternative ways of personalising the funeral.
"The worse case scenario is that these items damage the cremator or injure a colleague causing a delay to other family’s funerals. Clearly nobody would want this to happen.”
Placing personal items with loved ones who have died is a custom that dates back thousands of years and exists throughout many cultures.
Historians have discovered that ancient Egyptians, Romans, Vikings and Anglo-Saxons all did this and the practice is continued across the world today.
Brendan Davy, secretary at the Federation of Burial and Cremation Authority, added: "For many years we have provided guidance to funeral directors on items which should not be placed in coffins with the deceased.
"We recognise the importance of personalising a funeral, however, to protect the environment and crematorium staff it is necessary to exclude items which have the potential to produce harmful emissions and even explosions.”
Items that can be cremated include jewellery and medals although these cannot be recovered afterwards.
Families are advised that they should only leave items of sentimental or expensive items if do not want to keep them.
Staff at the crematorium are not legally permitted to open a coffin once it is placed in the chapel prior to the service.
CMG's director Steve Gant explained some alternative ways you can pay tribute to a loved one.
He said: "There are a number of alternative ways we can help a family to personalise the funeral.
"Our state-of-the-art audio/visual equipment has access to thousands of pieces of recorded music from traditional hymns to classical masterpieces to the latest pop or rock artists.
"We can also upload family photographs or home movies, and these can be played throughout the service to provide memories for the entire congregation.”
Items that have been placed in coffins prior to cremation:
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Chocolate
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Cigarettes and cigars
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Alcohol
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Mobile phone
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Golf clubs and balls
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A favourite book
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Soft toys
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Fishing rod
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Takeaway meal
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Computer game
