Wanstead Flats temporary coronavirus mortuary to become wildflower habitat

A temporary morgue on Wanstead Flats in East London will become a wildflower habitat Credit: PA

A temporary London mortuary used to store bodies at the peak of the coronavirus pandemic is being dismantled to make way for a new wildflower habitat.

The site, opened in April at Wanstead Flats in east London, was one of six emergency mortuaries set up to deal with deaths.

Temporary mortuary on Wanstead Flats Credit: PA

But as the death rate has fallen, the four-acre site near Epping Forest "will be reseeded with native species" and expected to open to the public next summer, said the City of London Corporation, which owns the land.

Notice that the area is fenced off to protect re-growing plants Credit: PA

In the coming weeks, teams will prepare the soil before sowing the land with a wildflower seed mix, including seeds collected from nearby areas of the forest.

Wanstead Flats is the southernmost portion of Epping Forest Credit: PA