A WOMAN'S ashes which were buried at a church against her wishes 26 years ago will finally be scattered in her chosen spot after a rare church ruling.

Kathleen Etty-Leal told her family she wanted her remains to be scattered on the Welsh hills near Newtown, where her ancestors came from.

But instead she was buried in St Bartholomew's church yard, Naunton Beauchamp, Worcestershire, reportedly due to the influence of her daughter-in-law.

But a judge has now granted rare consent for her ashes to be exhumed following an impassioned plea from Mrs Etty-Leal's daughter Sarah Worboys.

Mrs Worboys' launched the case after the marriage between one of her brothers and the daughter-in-law reportedly broke up.

The case was handled by the Church of England's Consistory Court, which granted Mrs Worboys permission to carry out her mother's wishes.

Charles Mynors, chancellor of the Diocese of Worcester, acted as a judge of the Consistory Court.

He ruled that although he considered it a "borderline" case he considered the circumstances were sufficiently exceptional for him to grant permission for exhumation.

Chancellor Mynors said Mrs Etty-Leal's ashes were buried at Naunton Beachamp "at the insistence" of her son's then wife.

Mrs Worboys had several times pointed out that it was a mistake to bury the ashes as her mother had "always wished them to be spread over her homeland, with her ancestors, in the Welsh hills."

The Chancellor said nobody had been able to explain to him why the views of the daughter-in-law prevailed over those of Mrs Etty-Leal's four children.

He said Mrs Worboys had told him: "Ever since the funeral I have wanted to right this wrong for my mother, but have been unable to do anything until recently, when my brother and sister-in-law were divorced, and I found my brother is in total agreement with me, as are our half-brother and sister."