A FATHER who has been charged with the murder of his 11-year-old daughter, found dead in her bed eight years ago, is to appear before Bolton magistrates.

The body of Phyllis Porter was exhumed last year. She died in mysterious circumstances in November 1996.

Despite a six-month police investigation at the time, the cause of her death was never established.

Phyllis' father Geoffrey Porter, aged 43, was charged on Tuesday night with his daughter's murder.

He will appear before Bolton magistrates on August 26.

Police reopened the inquiry last year after new information came to light and Phyllis' body was exhumed at St Luke's Church, Orrell near Wigan.

Scientists and forensic officers from Greater Manchester Police subsequently carried out toxicology and DNA tests on samples of Phyllis' remains before she was reburied hours later in the same family grave.

A file of evidence was then sent to the Crown Prosecution Service for consideration.

Phyllis - a pupil at Highfield Special School in Wigan - had learning difficulties but had been described as a "popular and perfectly healthy" schoolgirl who enjoyed swimming and other sports.

The tragedy happened on November 20, 1996, after her parents and uncle held a prayer meeting with two religious teachers at the family's council semi in the Marsh Green area of Wigan.

After the meeting finished, Phyllis' mother Anne-Marie, then aged 30, took her brother home leaving her husband to look after the youngster and their two other children Warren and Carl.

The following day warehouseman Porter - who claimed to hear his daughter snoring - went to work on a 4am shift.

But when his wife subsequently tried to wake Phyllis at 8am for school, she found her lying face down on her pillow looking "black and blue".

At an inquest into Phyllis death in May 1997, Mrs Porter told the hearing: "I picked her up and shook her because I heard her make a noise. Then I ran and knocked on doors and the third one I tried answered.

"I used their phone to call an ambulance." Paramedics tried to revive the youngster but she was already dead.

Scientists who examined her body were so baffled by her cause of death they sent her heart for analysis in London but, despite extensive tests, her death was recorded as "unascertained".

The inquest was told Phyllis had complained of being cold and having a sore throat and had been swimming the day before her death.

But the coroner recorded an open verdict after being told it was possible Phyllis may have died in her sleep.

Phyllis, who was named after her grandmother, was buried with her grandfather Patrick who had died from cancer two years earlier. Scores of people turned out at her funeral and a close friend sang her favourite song "From a Distance" to the packed congregation at the request of the family.

At the time of the funeral, Mrs Porter said: "When Geoff saw the coffin being lowered into the ground, it became too much for him and he just broke down. We miss her so much.

"The worst part is not knowing how she died. My husband and I have to be strong and carry on for the sake of our boys."

The case was shelved but reopened in 2003 when police believed a second post mortem examination on Phyllis' body might uncover fresh evidence.

During their renewed inquiries into Phyllis' death police quizzed at least eight people as potential witnesses and decided to open the girl's grave to try and obtain further forensic evidence.

The church and its ground were closed for the day as officers, the undertaker who buried Phyllis, a Mormon official and the local coroner witnessed the grim operation.

Afterwards the coffin was taken to Wigan Royal Infirmary for tests. Police had meetings with the original pathologist and presented the results of the latest scientific tests to him.

It was the first exhumation in the Greater Manchester county since the Harold Shipman murder inquiry in Hyde in 1998.

Officers liaised closely with Phyllis' family during the investigation but Mrs Porter was said to have "understood and supported the investigation."

Last year in a media interview housewife Mrs Porter, now 37, whose other children Warren and Chris are now aged 16 and 17 said she had spoken to her husband about the exhumation.

She said: "We are both upset about Phyllis being disturbed, but we thought that this might be part of the investigation.

"This is something that is very strange to us, but if it helps find out exactly what happened, then it has to be done.

"In some ways it would be nice to know what she died of, but I don't know how I would feel if they found her death wasn't natural.

"Her brothers know what is happening, but they haven't said much about it. Phyllis was a beautiful girl, she was very, very outgoing and very bubbly. Everyone who knew her liked her.

"She loved her sport, especially running and swimming, and she had got all her medals. She would try anything, and even tried rugby once."