A British woman claims she is going to season her Christmas turkey this year with her mother's ashes.

Debra Parsons, 41, told UK tabloid the Mirror it will be "the only thing that will get me through my first Christmas without Mum".

"People might think I'm mad or that it's not a very respectful thing to do but I just can't stop myself."

Her mother Doreen died in May after suffering a chest infection.

"My Mum and I had a really strong bond and one which could never be broken, even by death," Ms Parsons told the Mirror.

Her bizarre urges began not long after her sister delivered "her share" of the ashes after the funeral.

"I don't know what made me do it the first time - it was just an urge. I can't describe it. I opened the box and licked my fingers and just dipped them into the powder."

She says her family is fine with her unusual tastes.

"I know my Mum would have been happy for me to do whatever I needed to get over no longer having her in my life."

Ms Parsons, perhaps unbelievably, may not be the first Brit to ingest the ashes of a parent. Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards once claimed he mixed his dad's remains with cocaine, and lived to tell the tale.

US TV show My Strange Addiction in 2011 featured the case of a 26-year-old widower named Cassie who regularly dipped into the ashes of her husband.

Cannibalism isn't technically illegal in the UK, with most cases resulting in murder charges.

Newshub.