Despite their best intentions, many bereaved families who have lost a loved one fail to keep fresh flowers on the grave and they are left to wither away. But an innovative new business in France has a solution for those who would like the flowers maintained but find visiting the cemetery is impracticable or simply brings back unhappy memories.

The company is called Intersepulture – literally, between tombs. It promises to deliver and arrange flowers at any graveside that can be identified from satellite coordinates. Many French cemeteries keep detailed records that make this feasible and 250 families have already signed up for the service on the internet. For about £40, or £100 a year to cover three visits, fresh flowers will be placed and a picture taken of them in full bloom, which is sent to the customer by email.

The company’s managing director, Laurent Yon, responding to criticism that the service was in poor taste, said thousands of French people were prevented from visiting graves because they were too far away and that this was the perfect solution to the problem.

From our December 2007 e-newsletter