THE father of a victim of the Lockerbie bombing is demanding that trustees holding funds raised in the aftermath of the tragedy use them to save a church where his daughter's ashes lie.
Speaking on the eve of the disaster's 12th anniversary, the Rev John Mosey, of Cradley, near Malvern, said the £522,000 left in the Lockerbie Trust should be spent restoring Tundergarth village kirk.
His 19-year-old daughter, Helga, is one of two victims whose ashes areburied there after the bomb placed on Pan Am flight 103 killed 270 people as it flew over Lockerbie.
The kirk, which faces a £60,000 repair bill - has become a shrine for bereaved relatives, where the session house has been converted into a memorial room holding a book of remembrance.
More than £2m in aid flooded in after the bombing and the remainder of the cash after memorials and donations were paid for was transferred to a new trust in 1991.
Its remit is to spend the cash for the benefit of Lockerbie alone, which lies four miles from Tundergarth.
The trust has already been criticised for refusing to fund families attending the trial in Holland of the two men accused of the bombing.
'Horrified'
These included Mr Mosey and his wife, Lisa, whose request for £6,000 to cover air fares and the cost of renting a flat near the trial at Camp Zeist was turned down.
"That was disappointing enough but I'd be horrified if the trustees aren't forthcoming with money for the church because that should be well within their remit," he said.
"Tundergarth Church is a very special place for a lot of people and we try to go there at least once a year."
The congregation has already raised £23,500 and fund-raisers have applied for Lottery funding to match that total.
They have also applied for £16,000 from the Lockerbie Trust, which will be considered next month.
The trust has earmarked £250,000 for a new leisure centre as well as funds for restoring Lockerbie's cemetery lodge, close to the memorial.
Lockerbie councillor Marjory McQueen, one of the four fund trustees, said they would be meeting to soon to decide.
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