Officials at the University of Nottingham are concerned that the lack of corpses for students to dissect will affect anatomy classes.

About 50 bodies are needed each year at the university's medical school, but a national shortage means at present only 30 have been donated.

The shortage is partly due to organ retention scandals, officials said.

Anatomy Act

Paul Sutton, a fourth year medical student, said: "I feel very privileged that I was able to learn my anatomy by dissection.

"To be able to actively find the material, look at the relations between different organs, actually puts things into very, very clear perspective, much more so than in books or using computer learning packages."

University officials said they always obtain consent for every procedure carried out from both the donor and relatives.

Cremation is then later carried out under conditions decided by the donor.

Dr Margaret Pratten, head of anatomy teaching at the university, said bodies donated for medical science are covered by the Anatomy Act, unlike organ or tissue retention.