Space to bury the dead is in such short supply in the Dutch village of Ouderkerk that the local council organised a lottery to allocate the last places in two churchyards, Nos television reports.

In total, 30 places were available – 26 in the Ouderkerk churchyard and just four in the Gouderak cemetery. Demand was great because many people want to be buried next to their loved ones who died years ago, Nos said.
Those who were unlucky will be placed on a waiting list. In the meantime, the Zuid Holland town council is opening a new graveyard this summer.
In the Netherlands, graves are traditionally rented for a 20 or 30-year period and then cleared, unless families pay to keep the grave for a longer period.