A funeral director in Kenton is giving people the opportunity to create a memorial to a loved one this Christmas.

James Mooney-Dutton, 27, managing director of James Funeral Service, in Kenton Lane, has set up a memory tree in his office.

Mr Mooney-Dutton, who has run the business since September 2011, hopes people will write a personal message on one of his handmade tags.

These messages will then be hung among wooden angels in his festive tree.

He has sent tags to all the families he has worked with in the past year. These can be returned by post or dropped into the office.

The service is free even for people who have never been his clients.

Mr Mooney-Dutton said: “We are not just here to arrange funerals. We are here for people throughout the year.

“We build up good relationships with customers so we don’t want to stop giving them support as soon as the funeral is over.

“The memory tree is a way of saying that we are still here.

“People might want to remember someone this Christmas but might not know how to do it.

“That is what this tree is for.”

The funeral director has received letters of gratitude from a number of the people he wrote to.

He said: “It is wonderful to see that people have taken comfort from the tree.

“It makes us happy that we are doing a good thing.

“I am very pleased that people are sending tags back and being appreciative of the opportunity.”

He added: “After the loss of a loved one, Christmas can be a difficult time. One way in which loved ones can be remembered is by leaving a personal Christmas message on our memory tree.

“The messages may celebrate memories of Christmas past, reflect the personality of the loved one, recall favourite sayings or simply remember their name in writing.”

To add your own tag to the tree call Mr Mooney-Dutton on 020 8907 6655 or visit his shop at 502 Kenton Lane.