People in Weymouth are increasingly rejecting the traditional religious funeral, a report has discovered.

The report 'Burying Traditions', carried out by funeral director Co-op Funeralcare, found that just one in ten people surveyed in Weymouth would opt for a religious ceremony as their funeral.

Greg Scott, Funeral Director at Weymouth Co-op Funeralcare, said "It’s safe to say that people are thinking outside the box more when it comes to funerals, whether that be planning their own, or arranging one for a loved one.

"More so now than ever, we’re seeing that people want to celebrate life and the ways in which we can help them do that are endless.

"Over the years, we’ve certainly seen our fair share of unusual requests. It’s those personal touches that make a funeral truly unique and we feel privileged to be able to help families with that."

The findings also showed that more people are choosing alternative forms of memorial instead of the traditional funeral.

A total of 38 per cent said that they would like to have their family and friends hold a 'get-together' as a celebration of their life instead of the more traditional funeral. In addition, 40 per cent said they would rather that no fuss be made altogether.

The report also showed that people are choosing some less conventional ways to celebrate people's lives at funerals. People are often taking selfies, putting on bright colours, and asking for pets to come along to their memorials.

When asked about their attitudes towards the conduct of funerals, people suggested that they think practices will be different in the future.

In Weymouth, 43 per cent of adults think that funerals will become more informal down the line, while 23 per cent anticipate that the wake will become more important than the actual funeral service.

This report was compiled from Co-op Funeralcare's business data from 2014 onwards as well as insight from arrangers and directors of funerals in June and July of this year.

The company also collaborated with YouGov to conduct a survey of UK adults.