Mortuaries are increasingly forced to buy extra large fridges because bodies are too fat to fit in them, new data has found.

The number of “oversized” body fridge spaces installed in London’s mortuaries has jumped from 126 to 165 since 2013, with the trend replicated across the country according to one top mortuary salesman.

The largest mortuary fridges sold by manufacturers are 90cm wide and are becoming ever-more popular with health trusts, whilst the smallest “space saver” fridges, 56cm wide, are going out of fashion.

The news will add to worries about Britain's growing obesity crisis.

St George’s Health Trust in Wandsworth, south London, added the most oversized fridge spaces, increasing the number from five to 15, according to the Freedom of Information data received by the BBC.

Barts Health Trust in central and east London, which has added three new spaces, said they will have to install even more in the future because bodies are getting bigger.