A parish council is determined not to give up the fight to secure what it says is much-needed graveyard space.

Acle cemetery on Pyebush Lane is slowly reaching full capacity and only has enough space left for another three to four years of burials.

Yesterday an application to extend the site through the use of a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) on nearby land was refused by the local authority.

It now means Acle Parish Council has to find another option for people wishing to bury their loved ones in the village.

Chairman Tony Hemmingway said: 'It is crucial for the village. There are an awful lot of families buried in the cemetery and there could be any number of people who will want to be buried alongside them.

'The situation we have now is that the cemetery is closed to people wanting to book a plot. This allows it to remain open to people who are dying in the village. But that will cease in approximately three years with the number of plots left.'

Mr Hemmingway said the council had exhausted all other options to find burial space in the parish.

It previously requested a CPO to obtain three-and-a-half acres of land, but this was refused earlier this year.

Broadland District Council has again refused the latest application, stating the council needed to demonstrate public support through a poll.

Mr Hemmingway said: 'We have effectively done this at low cost in the form of a petition. We are tempted to come back to the council and say, 'OK, we will do a referendum and it will cost this much. But if we get a majority on our side, will you give us a CPO?'

'They are not going to say yes to that. We could spend £2,000 and it would be a waste of money.'

He said he would be writing to the secretary of state for communities and local government over the latest decision.

An officer's report on the application said landowner Mr Molineux was not inclined to reach an agreement with the parish council.

Is your village running out of cemetery space? Call Luke Powell on 01603 772684.