ASHES buried at a redundant church will be symbolically re-consecrated a mile up the road.

An area of the garden of remembrance at Hindsford St Anne's CE Church -- on the main route between Atherton and Tyldesley -- is being transferred to St Philip's in Atherton.

St Anne's was struck off the Manchester Diocesan active list in November 1999 because of structural problems deemed too costly to repair.

When St Anne's went out of commission, the Hindsford parish amalgamated with Atherton.

Atherton parish rector, the Rev Bill Baldwin, said: "There never was a burial ground at St Anne's, but they did bury ashes there.

"Since it is obviously impossible to retrieve ashes scattered there, we will take earth from the burial area and transfer that to St Philip's."

The rector said the future of the St Anne's building was still undecided.

Relatives and friends of those whose cremated remains were scattered at St Anne's are invited to a re-consecration service which will take place at 2.45pm on Sunday, December 10, at St Philip's in Crosby Street, Atherton.