Politicians broke down in tears as they made an emotional plea for weekend burials to be made available to families in Watford.

Councillor Asif Khan tabled a motion on Wednesday calling on Watford Borough Council to make weekend and Bank Holiday burials to be made available by the end of the year.

The Labour member broke down as he discussed his mother’s death on a Saturday in 2009 and the distress caused to his Muslim family because they were not able to bury her the following day.

Watford Mayor Dorothy Thornhill told the WO that weekend burials are expected to be included in a new-look service – but the Lib Dems could not support the motion as it wanted immediate action.

Fighting back tears, Councillor Khan said: “My mother’s burial was delayed until the Wednesday, it was an extremely painful experience – even today.

“I don’t want to go through the same experience with fellow resident in Watford. We need to make sure the burial service is meeting the needs of the entire community of Watford.

“I’ve been trying to do this since I was first elected in 2011 but was told it wasn’t economically viable and now there’s another review, which is starting to feel like the Chilcot Inquiry.

“We have a petition that has been signed by 3,000 people in just two weeks – which shows the strength of feeling in Watford. This is not a political thing but a human thing.”

His Labour colleague Seamus Williams also got emotional when discussing his grandfather’s death and urged the council to follow the lead of other authorities by allowing weekend burials.

He said: “Had I been given the opportunity to have buried my grandfather over the weekend it would have been something to have considered. It’s optional for some and cultural for others.”

The motion was supported by Conservative councillors but Mrs Thornhill countered with an amendment, which was later approved.

Mrs Thornhill said she had “great sympathy” but did not “want to make policy on the hoof” and so weekend burials would be considered once the findings of a full review of the council’s burial and cemetery services had been completed in September.

But Watford’s Mayor promised that a “different service” would be in place by April which is expected to include weekend burials.

She told the Observer: “We couldn’t support the motion because it wanted quick action.

“In order to change the service will take time to do it properly – I don’t want a double standard service where one group is fast tracked and other have to wait.

“We have got to do it properly, we want a gold service, and to do that will take longer than some would like.”