THE mayor of an Italian town has forbidden residents to die, because there is no cemetery for them to be buried in.

Giulio Cesare Fava, the mayor of small town Falciano del Massico, located about 50 kilometres north of Naples, southern Italy, issued the order earlier this month stating, "it is forbidden for residents ... to go beyond the boundaries of earthly life, to go into to the afterlife".

So far only two elderly residents have disobeyed the edict, the La Stampa daily reported, with two recorded deaths since March 5.

The unusual order follows a dispute with a neighbouring town, which has owned the old cemetery since local boundaries were redrawn in 1964.

The two communities disagree about a planned expansion of the site, so Mr Fava pulled out of the project and decided to build a new cemetery for Falciano del Massico's living 4000 residents.

But until he gains the right permits and builds the new final resting place, the townsfolk have been ordered to keep on living.

Originally published as Mayor forbids residents from dying