FAMILIES who have the ashes of loved ones at a Farnworth church are being asked to contact the church to discuss their removal to another site.

Around 60 separate sets of ashes are currently buried in the grounds or kept within the columbarium - a locker-type system with stone plaques on the front of each sealed locker - at All Saints Church and will need to be moved before it closes later this year.

The Devon Street church is closing down due to the falling number of worshippers and to be sold.

Ministers intend to move all the ashes to the cemetery at St John's Church, Church Street, Farnworth, where they will be buried in a new plot. A plaque featuring the names of all those buried there will be mounted at the new site.

Vicar at All Saints, Rev Cherry Vann said: "We have managed to contact several of the relatives, but have lost touch with some people and want to make sure we've made every effort to speak to them personally before the move.

"So far people have been happy with the arrangements, but if relatives feel strongly that their ashes should go somewhere else that is not a problem, we just need to discuss it."

All Saints is due to close by Christmas and the ashes must be moved in the coming weeks.

Any relatives should contact Rev Vann on 01204 572455.