TOKYO (AFP) - A civil servant who made up deaths, and even claimed he was going to the same person's funeral twice, has been sacked in Japan.

Mr Shigenori Natori was fired from his job managing public parks in Sendai, north-eastern Japan, after taking 16 days of bereavement leave over a five-year period, supposedly because of the deaths of 12 relatives.

Mr Natori, 60, fabricated documents using the names of people who were still alive, or who never even existed in the first place, a city official said on Friday.

But he was rumbled in January when he tried to claim time off for the funeral of an uncle. Bosses noticed they had already granted compassionate leave for that man's funeral. "Since I had used up my paid holidays, I submitted documents for mourning leave. I'm sorry," Mr Natori said, according to the city spokesman.

Mr Natori was dismissed - weeks ahead of his retirement - and had his lump sum cut in half as punishment.