GRIEVING relatives of tsunami victims are being offered the chance to use a medium in a bid to "contact" dead loved ones.

A charity evening is being organised by a Worcestershire clairvoyant, who believes victims' relatives would have their pain eased by speaking to those lost in the disaster.

The idea has been condemned by the Dean of Worcester, who warned mourners against using mediums as they could offer "false hopes".

"If a victim's relative does want to come along they can ring our telephone number and we'd be only too happy to help," said clairvoyant and event organiser Hazel Harrison, from Welland, near Malvern.

"Some people would say it is a bit insensitive but I don't, and a lot of my friends don't, because we know how good it is. "As far as I consider, the dead do live on. They won't be suffering any more. I've had contact with my mum, dad, nan and granddad.

"It's just comforting to know they are still there watching over us."

Mrs Harrison hopes Saturday's event - when Welsh medium Alun Thomas will give readings to an audience at a village hall in Earls Croome, near Upton-upon-Severn - will raise between £200 and £300 for disaster relief in Asia through £5 tickets.

But the Dean of Worcester, the Very Rev Peter Marshall, said: "While I respect other people's own beliefs, my own experience is that this sort of medium experience in the long run is more harmful and hurtful for people.

"It hinders their ability to cope with someone missing or dead and grieve properly about something which is a reality of our lives and comes to us all.

"People are very confused and deeply emotional at this stage of grieving - what they need is comfort and loving and not any kind of false hopes."

Jimmy Hofton, whose brother John Hofton and sister-in-law Annie, from Wichenford, near Worcester, were killed in the tsunami, said he would not be interested in attending the evening.