A dedicated burial site for the Gurkha Nepalese community will open next week – the first of its kind in London.

The land near the Peace Memorial Garden in Cherry Lane Cemetery, in West Drayton, will have space for 100 graves and about 30 column burial units, which will house ashes.

A formal opening ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, November 18. It has been timed for November to coincide with Remembrance Day.

More than 150 members of the Nepalese community are expected to attend the event, where the Mayor of Hillingdon, Councillor Catherine Dann, will unveil a dedication plaque.

Hillingdon Council leader Councillor Ray Puddifoot said: "We wanted to acknowledge the contribution and sacrifices that Gurkhas have made for this country, and as Hillingdon Council commemorates the First World War centenary it seemed like the right time for us to do this."

More than 200,000 Gurkhas served in the British Army during the first and second world wars.

In 2009, all retired Gurkhas won the right to live in the UK, following a campaign led by actress Joanna Lumley, whose father served with the 6th Gurkha Rifles.