A stretch of river in Aireborough has been identified by a religious group as an ideal spot for a burial ground.

Sikh and Hindu community groups have requested to use a stretch of the River Aire by Rawdon Meadows in Apperley Bridge for burials.

Traditionally Hindus would travel to India to the River Ganges and Sikhs to Punjab to scatter a relative's ashes.

But due to the cost of travelling to India it would mean that not all the relatives could attend the ceremony.

The idea of using rivers in Britain to conduct the ceremony is not new, with many local authorities in the south catering for this issue.

A spokesman for the Sikh community said: "They have a lot of these down south. We cremate the bodies by scattering the ashes in the water.

"People take them home to India and scatter them. They make a special journey to scatter the ashes. A lot of relatives live in England and would prefer to do it here if they could. Only one or two people go to India because of the expense."

Rajinder Johar, President of the Hindu Cultural Society of Bradford, said that at present, some Hindus took ashes to the North Sea at Scarborough, in lieu of India.

He said: "Not everybody can afford to go to the Ganges, it costs about £1,000. At Apperley Bridge, there is a bridge and a car park nearby, so it is ideal. At the river's edge, there will be a cemented pathway with railings because the river flows very fast there."

Before the communities can use it they must gain permission from both Bradford Council and the Environment Agency.

Jane Glaister, Bradford Council's Arts, Heritage and Leisure Director, said: "We are presently exploring a number of options. We are talking to both Hindu and Sikh groups and with the Environment Agency regarding a possible site at Apperley Bridge.

"However, no decisions have yet been made."

A spokesman for the Environment Agency said: "Each request will be treated on an individual basis and is dependant on the situation and location of the request.

"Clearly, a number of important factors must be taken into consideration."

These include pollution and litter problems further downstream and the demands of river users.